Kagome's Twist
by SuperAlpha96
Summary: A simple dispute snowballs into a full-out war between two lords. One lord drafts every "man" over ten and send them off to training camps. Previously, Inuyasha is hurt badly and Kagome takes his place without him knowing. Can he save her before the war?
1. The Beginning of Endings

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 1

~The Beginning of Endings~

Hey guys! So I literally had this idea while having dinner the other night and, well, tell me if you think it has potential or not!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Kagome~~

I stare in horror, frozen to the spot, as one of the reptilian full-demon's poisonous spikes on its elongated tentacle aims straight for Inuyasha's back. He won't see it coming, at all. My breath catches in my throat, knowing all too well that not even a 'sit' can avoid the blood-shed about to happen.

"Inuyasha!" I scream at the top of my lungs from my hiding spot behind the rocks. I feel the center of my entire being throb with pain as the spike pierces Inuyasha's back, the purple tip poking out of his abdomen. His golden eyes widen from the shock of the attack and the shock of feeling such an immense amount of pain from that acute spot. Blood pools under his robe of the fire rat, darkening the already red cloth.

I close my eyes, unable to look at him being so injured.

_If only Miroku or Sango were here… _

Unfortunately, a village about three-day's travel away from Kaede's village cried for someone to vanquish a mole-demon eating their crops; Sango couldn't say no and Miroku wouldn't allow Sango to go _anywhere_ out of his sight. So they left…

But that was two days ago. They're not even at the desolate village yet, and already their help would've been greatly appreciated.

I gather my courage and stand with bow and arrow in hand. I cry, "I will _not_ forgive you!" The demon notices me for the first time and looks at me with greedy eyes. I suppress the chill running down my spine and, with a twitch of my fingers, my arrow flies and the fluttering remains of the reptile demon scatter over the rocky ground. I quickly sling my bag over my shoulder, bow still tight in my grasp, and run over to where Inuyasha lies. As I get closer, however, I stop and stare at him.

He's unconscious, still breathing, but the wound is still pumping out blood, the little purple spike not yet removed. Each breath he takes is labored and raspy; his hand twitches now and then. His face, since he's unconscious, reveals just how much pain he's in by the grimace scarring his usually clam features.

I feel the coarse straps of my yellow bag slide off my drooping shoulders; it 'thumps' onto the ground. Not taking my eyes off him, I walk towards his body slowly, as if I fear that at any moment his chest will fail to rise. Again I stop, kneeling next to him to further inspect the wound. I lean over his body, the metallic scent of blood filling my senses and making me slightly light-headed. I shake the feeling away and concentrate on the half-demon before me. Gingerly, I finger the edges of the hoari and carefully ease them back. I have to peel the cloth off the wound itself and the moist sound almost makes me gag.

Almost.

I look at the purple spike barely poking out his center and part of me nearly cries at what I'll have to do.

_These spikes… they're just like a porcupine's. I can't get it out the way they came – not with those hooks!_

My slim fingers, trembling, take hold of the one-inch handle I'm given, my fingertips pressing into his bloody flesh. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

_I'll have to pull it **all the way through-**_

I jerk it up, straight out of him. Inuyasha howls in pain, but quickly falls silent in the realm of unconsciousness. I scan his face, fearing the pain might have been too much for him, but I find his with an almost serene expression on his face. I smile.

_It's kind of like he's sleeping…_

I glance around to check and make sure no other demons are around. Sensing none, I ease Inuyasha into a sitting position, his head resting against my shoulder as I try to have him lean his weight onto me.

_My stuff!_

My eyes widen at the thought that had popped into my little head. I crane my neck to look behind me, that yellow backpack full of helpful supplies just out of my reach. While supporting the upper-half of his body, I inch my right leg out and kick the bag under the nearby bushes. There's no way I'm leaving without my bow and arrows.

_Okay… Here we go…_

With one last deep breath, I shuffle my feet under me and stand until the both of us are up and off the ground. The extra weight strains my muscles to the max, but I push forward. I gaze ahead of me, at the setting sun that paints the evening sky orange, and back at the long journey ahead of me. I sigh, setting my foot in front of me to initiate the first step.

_Even Shippou's presence would be appreciated right about now, if he transformed…_

He could easily carry Inuyasha for most of the way. But I guess I'm on my own until then…

**FAST FORWARD**

Luke-warm water splashes out of the now-pink bowl and makes the dusty entrance of Kaede's hut a bit muddy. I wring out the cloth, twisting out all the old blood and lay it on top of Inuyasha's stomach. A sharp hiss escapes his lips, but he un-tenses and falls back to sleep. I glance at the kistune curled up in the far corner.

_Shippou, _I think with a smile. _I'm glad you're a deep-sleeper and we didn't wake you when we came in…_

Not once during our little trek did Inuyasha wake up. Luckily, no one approached us in the woods. Dark had fallen upon the Feudal Era by the time we reached Kaede's hut, but she wasted no time to help treat the fallen half-demon.

Neither did I.

Though I'm sure it is well into the morning, I have not stopped to sleep or even to sit back and rest. I stare at Inuyasha by firelight as I clean the cloth from his sweat-drenched forehead, the flames playing upon his features, making them glow; his silver hair now bronze, the tip of his nose seems to be more pointed, his eyelids appear to be merely orange flower petals. Those lips of his don't seem to be as firmly pressed as usual. His chest is on fire with every twist and turn of the flames. His arms, the ones that always hold and protect me from danger, pulse with his demonic blood. His hands, calloused and scarred from past battles, soften under the fiery glow. Each wave of light and warmth from the fire makes Inuyasha more… Handsome.

I look away and blush in the dark.

Finally, I let out a deep sigh.

_If only I could've brought my bag with me, then Inuyasha could be treated with modern medicine. I think I'd feel a heck of a lot better if I wasn't just cleansing his wounds and actually **doing something!**_

I shake my head. The far-off sound of horses neighing and men cursing rouse me from my uneasiness and I walk outside to find three men in armor riding horses. One man with them walked on foot, going door to door to read something off a large scroll. I watch the reactions of the people they talk to: sadness, anger, hopelessness, fear.

Curious, I leave the hut and walk cautiously towards the group, stopping only when I was just within earshot. Once again, the scrawny man opened the scroll and read aloud:

"Lord Kabashi is at war with the western lord and we are recruiting **all** eligible men over the age of ten-"

_Ten? _I think to myself. _That's Sota's age – he's just a boy! _

The man with the long-haired ponytail tied at the nape of his neck continues:

"and transported to the Kabashi training camp to prepare for war. Be proud men, for you are about to defend the Kabashi name from shame. If there are any oppositions, we will simply take all the woman of the household to nurse future wounds and collect the cattle and other livestock for nourishment."

Without draing attention to myself, I creep back to Kaede's hut to discover that she is already up. Her eyes are tired as she tosses a mixture of freshly cut vegetables into a small pot of water over the fire.

_Guess I'm not the only one who didn't sleep a wink last night_

"Kaede," I say as I walk towards her. She watches me come by and sit next to her. "A war is starting: Lord Kabashi or another fighting another lorf from the west. Men are outside recruiting the village men and _children over the age of ten_ for battle! If there's any trouble, they'll steal the women and farm animals! Is this normal?"

Her elderly eyes twinkle with knowledge, but show that the knowledge is not held in the best of light.

"Aye, child." Priestess Kaede utters as she stirs the stew. "That is quite normal for this time. But I'm glad to hear your time doth not have that same treatment. I am afraid, however Kagome, that those men will come to collect Inuyasha as well-"

"What!" I jump up. Panic fills my mind, but I suppress it to the best of my ability. "Bu-bu-but he's _injured!"_

"That matters not, child. He will heal, and he being a half-demon is better than ten men combined. He is a valuable asset to Lord Kabashi, but will only be treated like a slave in between battles."

"No!" I shout. I clench my hands at my sides.

_There has to be a way to save them… I didn't drag his sorry rump all the way here just to get carried off by someone else!_

I squeeze my eyes shut and feel my entire body shake with fury.

"Aye, Mistress Kagome, there is a way." A small voice speaks out near me. I open my eyes and look at Kaede, but she had gone back to cooking the stew. "Down here, Mistress Kagome."

I lower my gaze and, sure enough, there's the flea-youki Myoga. I crouch down to his level, now being able to see him in such detail. His straw hat is pulled back, all four arms are tucked into different sleeves of his green shirt as he sits cross-legged on the wodden floor.

"Yes, Myoga? What is it?" I ask hurriedly, hearing the horses' hoof-steps nearing the hut.

"Well," he starts, not yet meeting my gaze. "You may not like it…"

I grab him by the back of the shirt and hold him up to eye level.

"Myoga?" I start off sweetly: the tiny flea shivers. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ME TO BE PICKY! NOW WHAT IS IT?"

"Mistress Kagome, you'll have to take Inuyasha's place on the battlefield."

A/n: Hey, hey once again!

How is it? I originally planned on typing this chapter to be longer, but I can't stay up any longer.

*smacks forehead* why'd I have to get sick! I always get tired _earlier _whenever I get sick!

Till next Time!


	2. Dire Desicions

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 2

~Dire Decisions~

I want to thank you all for the positive feedback I received, thanks a lot guys! You know who you are…

;3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Kagome~~

_Blah, blah-blah, blah-blah. When will these idiots shut up?_

I force myself to at least _act _interested in the boring "right" the man in front of me is saying. Every once in a while, I nod my head to further convince him of the amount of attention I'm giving him. If I don't give him any, he won't respect me when I make my request later.

"And if you refuse, we will take your livestock and use the woman to nurse our battle wounds…" The scrawny man pauses to look me up and down, a sinister glint flashing in the depths of his dark eyes. "And more, if _your_ man refuses."

I pretend to be flattered by his rather creepy comment and cast my eyes downward, my fingers fumbling with themselves behind my back as my shoe digs a little divot in the dusty ground.

_Don't I wish my skirt was longer now…_

"Well, I can assure you – he'll be showing, but…." I lift my eyes. I let my hips sway a little flirtatiously for the two-three steps I take from Kaede's doorway.

_Myoga said he had a plan, so I just have to convince the guys to come later! Come on Kagome, show'em what you got!_

I bat my eyes, getting the attention from all three men. I ask with a sweet smile, "Is there _any way _you can collect him in the morning? You see, I have something…. _Special _planned for the two of us tonight…"

I hold my breath, terrified that they'll reject my earnest request and just kidnap since I just said to them that I was offering…. Things… I keep my innocent, earnest face plastered on, fearing that if I let it down for one moment – they'd see right through me façade. The two men on horseback look at each other. In an instant, one of the armored warriors laughs and roughly smacks his horseman.

"Ha ha!" He bellows. "Let them be; they say _that's _the best way to send a soldier off to war!"

I feel myself space out as I choke on the breath I let out as relief for that brief moment before his crude remark made me do a double-take. I look at him in the corners of my eyes as I bow my thanks to them. He seems normal: black hair that's probably shoulder length if it wasn't in that low ponytail, his rare blue eyes sparkle even without a significant light source, even from here – I can tell the armor a warrior must wear is gravely heavy and yet he bears it as if it was like a night gown or something similar to the light, flow-y material.

"Come on, men!" He shouts to the two men standing not five feet away from his black stallion. He steers the magnificent beast towards the other huts of the village, calling over his shoulder, "Dominic! Higurd! We'll return in the morning, so pick up ye long faces."

I glance at the said men and sure enough, they appear depressed with the prolong trip my request had made. Their melancholy expressions lift, but I'm sure that's only because their leader told them so. They turn away from me, heading towards the next hut to spread more of the terrible news, but the man I assume is named Higurd keeps his scary eyes trained on me, his dirty fingers griping the scroll tightly.

I breathe a sigh of relief when he finally turns around, feeling the remaining amounts of energy drain out of me. I collapse against the rickety frame of the entranceway, nudging the reed-curtain inside the cool structure. I close my eyes.

_Myoga… _ I think in a quiet voice. _You better have a good plan._

With one last glimpse at the pre-dawn sky, into the darkness I go. From the far side of the hut, I can make out the outline of the old priestess.

"Well done, Lady Kagome," I hear her voice weave through the suffocating darkness. I nod at her outline.

"Thank you, but where is-"

I feel a sharp pinch on the side of my neck, followed by a slight sucking sensation. I smack the side of my neck before opening my hand at eye level. The flea-youki's flattened form pops to his usual plump size; he bows his large head my way.

"Greetings. Myoga, at your service."

"Myoga…" I drag out, my patience wearing thin. "You said you had a plan, so spill it!"

"Um, umm, well… you see." By this time, Kaede has ignited a small fire and is currently stirring the future makings of a vegetable stew. The small flames lick the sides of the cast iron pot, the illumination climbing eagerly up the walls. I glance at Inuyasha and I feel my heart stiffen in my chest as my face slowly turns into a sad expression by anyone's standards.

The fire's light casts an orange glow on his silver hair, his skin sun-kissed until he was bronze. But the sights that kill me are the black spots soaking his bandages; his face –though he's sleeping – is etched into a mild grimace.

_Even in the safe peacefulness of unconsciousness, he's experiencing pain._

"-and you should feel some discomfort, but nothing someone as strong and iron-willed as you can't handle." I snap my attention back at the flea in my hand, who has apparently been talking for some while. "I should say, though, I have no idea how long these new features you'll acquire will remain as apart of your body, but it'll turn ou-"

"What?"

"_Discomfort?" "New features?" It sounds like he's gonna do Feudal surgery on me!_

"Start from the beginning!" I walk over to Inuyasha's side, setting his long-time mentor on his bandages. He sighs, shakes his head, but looks at me patiently.

"I said: you need to mix Inuyasha's blood with your own. You can't just prick your finger, that'll be too small of a wound and not enough blood can mix. No, you need to use a knife and make a small wound that way. The mixing of the blood shall let you take the appearance of the owner; you'll also have their abilities as well. That means you can recreate Master Inuyasha's Iron Reaver Soul Stealer and heal much faster compared to human standards."

I stare at him in disbelief.

_Mix…. Blood…. Knife… Owner's appearance… This is too weird to be true, he can't be serious. And yet…_

"There is, however," Myoga breathes. "No guarantee as to how long your disguise shall remain hiding your true features, so there is a minor set back."

I shake my head, silently telling him to stop.

"No Myoga, Inuyasha can't go into war like this. If they send him out on a field within days, which I'm sure they will –caring not because he's a hanyo- he won't have a chance, even _if _his demon side came out. No… I'm ready to do whatever is needed."

I turn around to face Kaede, her old bones only allowing her to bend over slightly to cook breakfast. I know what I'm about to say is a lot to ask of one person, but I can't do this alone.

"Kaede?"

"Aye, child?" Her eyes sparkle with anticipation; she smiles, yet I know she understands how grave my question will be.

"Can you do it? Can you mix our blood? I-I can't, I don't want to hurt him any-"

Kaede hushes me, causing me to scrunch my face in confusion.

_Is she refusing? Gods, what am I going to do?_

The old priestess struggles to stand, but waves me away when I quietly offer a helping hand. She hobbles over to the back of the hut where she supplies her herbs and remedies as well as a miscellaneous of priestess weaponry and tools. She comes back out with a small box of all the extra first-aid supplies I give her from time to time.

Kaede kneels next to me, drawing a feudal version of a surgical knife. Her eyes narrow as she inspects it, but reaches next to her for the cleaning wipes – I had informed her to sanitize her first-aid equipment after each use to decrease the risk of infection – and brandishes the curving piece of metal.

She glances between the knife and me, and asks, "Are ye sure, Kagome? We aren't sure of the effects of this-"

"Kaede, I'm sure. Inuyasha has taken numerous and more serious injuries for me, now it's my turn." I thrust my arm at her, but my bravado shrinks and I squeeze my eyes tight, my head turned towards Inuyasha. Something brushes the inside of my arm, and I jump – but it was only the prep cloth. I give Kaede an apologizing, sheepish look, but revert to my former posture in hopes of barricading myself from the pain.

_Please Kaede… Make it quick. _

The first thing I hear is Inuyasha's labored breathing shifting to pained moans. I snap my eyes open to find Kaede removing his bandages, irritating the wound.

"What are you doing?" I nearly shout at her, but manage to keep it rational. The old woman casts me a patient glance, but continues to pull the cloth away.

"I am merely collecting some of Inuyasha's blood for ye, I cannot inject his blood into ye if he has given me any. Relax," she chastens. "I know what I am doing, experience has made it so."

I grab Inuyasha's hand, reassuring his subconscious of a comforting presence. When Kaede peels the final layer, Inuyasha hisses and digs his claws into my skin. I wince, feeling my warm blood trickle down my arm, but still I squeeze his hand back.

After a moment, Kaede says, "Okay, Kagome. Just hang on to Inuyasha and all will be right."

I breathe in and out, trying to keep calm.

…

But then the knife cut my skin. Not deep, but enough to scare me. Instinctively, I dig my nails into the hanyo's tough flesh. As the hot liquid spills into my wound, I numbly notice I faint pressure grip my blood-stained hand.

As the foreign substance courses through my veins in a heated frenzy, I feel something pulse my entire being. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, but that something keeps growing and growing.

Power

A/n: Hi folks! What do you guys think? Are the characters OOC (out of character) any or at all?

Have any suggestions for what should happen next?

I will take any criticism happily.

Till next time!

;3


	3. Transformations

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 3

~Transformations~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~Kagome~

The blood courses through my veins violently, jarring every nerve and artery – my heart working triple time. I grit my teeth and close my eyes shut, hoping to ease some of the pain.

_Oh! It hurts! It HURTS!_

With Inuyasha's blood pumping painfully -forcefully- through my system, the effects are almost immediate. There's a loud pounding in my ears, and they feel as if someone is jerking them upwards until the _skin_ moves along with it. My knuckles ache as my fragile nails become sturdy, thick claws. My hair becomes heavy on my back as I feel it growing longer and longer until it reaches the floor and pools. I'm forced from my kneeling position to lie next to Inuyasha on my stomach as my arms and legs scream in protest - as if I'm being stretched -those muscles constantly straining and aching. My spine constantly pops and then realigns itself into making a longer body. My head even re-shapes itself, the jaw broadening while my nose lengthens – giving me one killer headache.

I feel my insides twist around, changing proportions and/or locations. My chest lightens as my breasts shrink, but I'm in too much pain to blush as my hips narrow and something grows. My throat tingles as the vocal cords rearrange themselves. All I can do is pant and gasp for air by the time my muscles themselves stretch and grow into stronger muscles.

The entire time, I have my eyes shut and focus on the one thing that stays constant:

My grip on Inuyasha's hand.

"…'Gome…" a far-off voice calls. I feel something on the top of my head flick and move. "Kagome!"

_Wha- I can hear it better now…_

I open my eyes, noticing how much sharper I can see in the dim light. I glance at Inuyasha, that same pained expression scarring his face. Hesitantly, I manage to get on all fours, but that's all my strength will allow… for now.

I pant as I crawl my way over to the bowl of bloodied water. Behind me, I can here Myoga and Lady Kaede asking me all sorts of questions- Are you okay? Can you understand me? How much pain are ye in?- but I continue my tedious journey to the bowl in hopes of seeing whose face I now wear.

_Did it work? Gods help me if it didn't. What'll I do if this didn't work? I would've gone through all of that for nothing!_

I grip both sides of the pail with shaky hands, my focus solely on making the effort to finish the last couple of inches to peer inside to see the stranger inside. Just as my eyes almost past the rotted rim of the wooden pail, my body convulses with a couching fit and all the water spills out.

_Darn! Now I don't know if I look **exactly **like Inuyasha or not…_

Some of it lands on my arm and I pause. I study the pink liquid staining my arm and, gingerly, lean in to take a whiff of it. Somewhere deep inside me, something similar to a conscious or intuition tells me that the iron smell mixed in with faded scents of freshness from the water, now tainted, was blood. But what sends my mind into a frenzy is that the consciousness keeps repeating, "Who's that? Who's that? That smells like me, but it's not me – who's it?"

I shake my head to silence the annoying voice and wipe my arm on my skirt.

_Gosh, it's probably in ruins by now. There's no way Inuyasha can fit into my clothes... Huh?_

Or _try _to, anyway. I end up wiping it on my leg. I jump at the wet sensation and notice for the first time my lack of clothing. While my body had grown during the transformation, my petite school uniform… did not.

"EEPP!" I yell in a familiar voice as I try to yank my skirt down to cover myself more properly.

_Inuyasha? Was that you?_

I whirl around, but the boy still sleeps. As I stare at him, studying him for perhaps the very last time, my hair falls in front of my eyes.

My _silver _hair.

I raise a hand to the soft strands and, as I run my fingers through, I find that my hands truly have morphed into calloused hands with claws for fingers. My ears twitch and I get the idea to _touch _them. I reach up cautiously. The pads of my fingers come in contact with something furry at the same time my ears feel a finger caress the back. I rub my ears and smile.

_Just like dog ears… Just like Inuyasha's…_

A small insect lands on my nose, ruining my fun.

"Kagome, while the wound is still open, I suggest you collect some of Master Inuyasha's blood in a vial of some sort; preferably a container large enough to drink regular beverages out of - so as not to draw suspicion. Surely, the other warriors will look at you wearily if they catch you sipping out of a small vial. Perhaps they will think you are trying to commit suicide slowly via poisoning to get out of the war - very cowardice. Perhaps they will think it's alcohol and wish to drink heartily with you – or more like it, drink _from_ you. Perhaps-"

I flick the flea-youki off my nose.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just shut up, okay? I've heard enough- where'd you go?" Usually, Myoga lands pretty close to me, but my enhanced sight spots him on the other side of the hut. I rush up to my feet, my aches and pains long forgotten as the demon quickly heals me. "Myoga, are you okay?"

_Every word I say… I sound **just** like Inuyasha… This might work!_

"Kagome," my demon ears catch Lady Kaede say. I look at her and give her my attention. "Ye need to rest if ye still plan to follow those men into battle in Inuyasha's place. Do ye?"

I bow my head.

"Of course, I wouldn't go this for just for power. But umm, Kaede?"

"Aye, Child?"

I lower my eyes to the ground, suddenly nervous that my suggestion is stupid. I finger the edge of my skirt.

_Stop that! _I chide myself. _You have to start using Inuyasha's body language and attitude – or else this won't work! _

I stop playing with the edges of the ripped green fabric and fold my arms across my flat chest – a weird posture change, being used to supporting my girls.

"I'm in need of Inuyasha's clothes. I can't take all of them, he needs the protection in this state as much as I do, but that's the number one thing these villages identify him by. I'll wear his haori, but I'll leave him some dignity and won't touch his pants…" Kaede chuckles at my thought process and a deep blush paints my cheeks. I let my eyes roam, amazed at the intensity of my vision. My eyes land on Kaede's priestess attire and an idea pops into my head.

"Kaede? You wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of those pants would you?"

The old woman disappears into the back and emerges with a red cloth draped over her old arm.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" I hold the fabric to my waist and find that I can wrap it around my waist _at least_ two times… but I don't say anything, but look down at Kaede, my new form towering over her. Her eyes are trained on my multiple folds and she says with a pout, "Oh, dear, child. I'll have to sew that in place. I'll work through the rest of the night for ye, and I should be ready by morning."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

_Yes! No obi ties for me! I'd have to have it tied so tightly otherwise….._

Kaede measures my manly waist where Inuyasha usually wears his hakamas. Once finished, she takes the red material in the back where, hopefully, my pseudo-fire fat robe pants will be ready by dawn.

I cast a look of longing at Inuyasha, longing to sleep as deep as he. I trudge my bare feet across the wooden floor and lay down next to him, wrapping a muscular arm across his hips – well out of the way of the wound. As I lie, sleep washes over me – willing me to let my eyes drift close so my body can finally rest. Even though the youki now in me is rapidly healing me from the effects of the transformation, my body was sore and battered from the start.

I rest my head in the little space in between Inuyasha's form and his arm, like he's wrapping his arm around me. I smile to myself secretly; feeling the real Inuyasha's body heat –the heat of life- radiate off his body next to me, keeping me warm.

I allow my body that large favor of letting my now-amber eyes (I hope!) flutter shut and freeze in the action.

_Note to self: act more like opposite sex, but more like Inuyasha._

That was my last thought before sleep overcame me and my weary body.

A/n: Yo! I hope you guys are liking this fic, cause I'm having fun writing it.

Just wait until you see what I have planned… *rubs hands together menacingly*

Till next time!

;3


	4. Being Drafted

K-4

~ Being Drafted ~

Sorry for taking so long, but I've been writing songfics and some of my different stories. And guess what guys! I've become a Beta Reader!

X33

I'm so excited!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Kagome~~

Something nudges me, drawing me out of my pleasant slumber.

_No…. I don't want to wake up…_

"Lady Kagome," A voice prods through my unconsciousness.

I swat the annoyance away, wishing to curl into a tight ball. But alas, the world is not so kind to me, and I find myself more awake than I'd like.

With a groan, I sit up. I look about the hut lazily, not yet seeing anything distinguishable in my sleepy state. I raise my arms above my head and stretch.

I let out a contented sigh and feel something next to me.

It's Inuyasha. Bloodied, out-cold Inuyasha.

"Oh My go-"

I jump back to the other side of the hut, freaking out.

_What? What-wha-… ohhhhhh goodness…_

I cover my mouth, feeling my new claws prick my skin. I slide down the wall, no longer wishing to stand and tower above my fallen friend.

"Inuyasha?" I whisper, vainly hoping he'll hear me and magically open his eyes, say everything is all right, and stand up – ready for the next youki with a jewel shard.

But he lies there on the mat, motionless.

Something small lands on my nose and nips me.

I close my eyes and twitch,

"Myoga…" I growl. The flea-youki pauses in his feeding and falls off, too full for his own good.

"Lady Kagome, I strongly urge that you take this with you," he motions to a small pile of red cloth with a small vial placed gently on top of it. I walk over and notice the letter from Lady Kaede. I smile to myself, knowing she worked as hard as she could in the wee hours.

_She's probably sleeping in the back, poor girl._

I pick the red mock-hakama up and turn to face my only companion.

"Myoga, will you be so kind as to turn around? I'm gonna change-"

The flea nods and turns his back to me, saying, "Of course, I will respect your need of solace."

I nod towards his back and walk over to Inuyasha. Luckily, Kaede and I had already taken off his outer layer and placed the rolled up fabric under his head to act as a pillow. Knowing he wasn't going to walk anytime soon, I grab the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head. I ball it up and crouch next to the sleeping hanyo. I use one hand to lift his head. With my free hand I grab the Robe of the Fire Rat while jamming my balled up shirt back in its place. I lower his head and pin my new ears back to stop the sound of his moan from reaching them.

I walk back over to the priestess pants and pull the top on correctly. I try to tug my skirt off, but it doesn't budge. Sighing, I slice it off, watching the shreds flutter to the ground.

_I'll have to ask Mama to buy me a new one; this one's too damaged to mend…_

I gasp, eyes widening.

_Mama! Gramps! Holy cow, I haven't told them anything! I was supposed to see them in a few days… But it looks like I won't be seeing them anytime soon… _I think forlornly.

With the rays of dawn streaming through the doorway, I realize I must hurry before those brutish warriors return to collect _me_. Hurriedly, I throw the rest of my "borrowed" clothes on, luckily remembering the traditional style of folding the haori and tying the obi.

"Okay Myoga," I call over my shoulder. "You don't have to stare off in a corner anymore."

Behind me, my enhanced ears catch the insect's gasp, confusing me for the original. Slowly, I turn around to face him. I watch as Inuyasha's mentor glances between me and the fallen half-demon in the corner, stunned.

"Myoga, do you think this will work?" Instead of pleading, my voice sounds annoyed.

_I'm working on being more Inuyasha and I don't sound too bad… _

The flea nods and says, "Aye, Lady Ka- I mean, Master Inuyasha." He winks at me reassuringly.

I nod at him and walk out the door, my stomach doing flops inside despite my cool bravado.

The men from earlier walk over to me, a gleam in their eyes I don't know is there. The first man, the one I consider is kind, approaches me and pats me on the back. I side-step away from him, not outwardly appearing to be disgusted by his touch. I stare at all three of them, waiting for them to start the conversation that would end with me trailing them to war.

I shiver at the idea, and this time, the men take notice.

"Still in ecstasy from last night, eh?" the leader comments, winking at me. " You'll have to tell me all she did to ye later, she seemed… _eager_… to share a moment with ye 'fore ye left."

I snicker, disgusted at their train of thoughts.

_But this is what I'll probably be **surrounded** by in the troop camps, so I better get used to this now-_

"You bet she showed me something!" I remark, nudging the closest man next to me. "I won't forget it anytime soon, either-"

"Aye, man! If only my woman sent me away like that…" he rolls his eyes back, fantasizing about his lass at home.

"And your name is…?"

"Dintu-Sinku." _Flame heart… I'd hate to see you when you're angry! _"But just call me General Dintu."

I nod and give one last look at the hut, hoping none of them peek inside to see my doppelganger sleeping a few feet away.

A hand smacks the back of my head and I growl, automatically agitated that someone would _dare _to advance on me. I shoot dagger glares at the man next to me, Higurd.

He backs away, hands held up jokingly in defeat.

"Yo, half-breed! I was only helping you move on…"

My golden eyes narrow.

_I am not going to like this man… I just know it… And calling me a half-breed!_

By this time, Dominic and General Dintu have trekked out on their horses to the outer limits of the friendly village. I glare at Higurd a moment more, and then take my leave to follow my new superior.

We walk for most of the day, collecting and corralling more and more title-less men, some just over Sota's age. Each boy we pick up, my heart lurches, but I know I have no voice here. In fact, Higurd constantly reminds me of that: name-calling me, pestering me – and yet I have no one to turn to.

What am I gonna do? Go and whine to the general? He'd take it as a sign of weakness and more than likely execute me.

_Just wait until training starts, Kagome. You'll have a wallop of fun there. _

Before long, General Dintu has a small – though untrained – army behind him. He insists, however, that I bring up the rear, which translates to "You stay behind in the back so we don't have to see you."

But I stayed quiet and walked to the back of the massive group, ignoring all the nasty glares I was receiving and the vile comments about half-breeds.

_No wonder Inuyasha had to grow up tough!_

The journey is hot, sweaty, and tiresome. At some point I take my arms out of the outer sleeves and tie the arms around my waist, like a jacket. While feeling a bit cooler in my white shirt, I can't help but feel separated from the sea of bare-chested men, all suffering from the same heat as I.

By nightfall, we reach the camp. A welcoming sight, the white tents were. I stop at the top of the hill, just looking at my new home lit only by torches and small fires.

_I wonder when Inuyasha will wake up and find out what I did… At least I know Kaede will take good care of him until then…_

Out of nowhere, I hear an incoming projectile whizzle past my ears, missing by merely inches. It lands a few feet aware and I discover that it's a spear with a fuda tied to it. I stand still with my eyes closed, focusing on my senses besides sight.

I smell a human thirty feet away, the foliage of the bushes concealing his scent by a hair. I hear him curse as his clothes rustle, him moving to grab another weapon of choice. Faster than I thought possible, I stand before him, standing him down.

Surprised, the dirty human stumbles backwards. Higurd stares up at me in pure terror before morphing into a nasty sneer.

"What do _you_ want, half-breed? Can't a man piss in peace?"

To further prove his false point, he undoes his pants.

I stare him in the face, afraid if I let my eyes roam, he'll sense my anxiety. I walk up to him until we're nose to nose, though I stand a good five inches taller than he.

"_What is you problem_?" I grit through clenched teeth.

His salty scent of sweat wafts up to my nose, alerting me of his fear. I cock my head and grin, my fangs flashing in the dark.

"So… you're nervous? About me?" I raise an eyebrow, implying that I was harmless – though I'm anything _but _that.

_If I let him push me around, he'll bug me forever. No, I have to fight him now, as pointless as it may seem. _

I shove him to the ground and place my knee where it'll hurt the most. I lean forward, putting more weight on him.

He cries out, but I cover his mouth with a clawed hand.

_No one else can see this, or else **I'll** be blamed._

I press harder against him and watch as tears fall from his black eyes. I face him and say in a dead serious tone, "You will stop this. Do it again, and I won't just play with you – I'll _kill _you."

_Hopefully I won't have to do that, I don't really want to kill, just survive here while Inuyasha heals. _

Higurd nods and I knee him once (to seal my point) before releasing my hold on him, standing up until I'm at full height. He looks up at me like I'd kill him anyway, but I just walk away – without another word.

I walk cooly straight into camp, not letting any of the other soldiers' sneers affect me as I make my way towards my own tent.

_Thank Kami I don't have to share my tent!_

I strip down to my pants and ball my shirts up to act as my pillow. I roll my priestess pants up and lie down with a sigh.

_Dang… this feels so weird, like I'm topless. _

I squirm on the itchy cot, trying to rid my insecurity.

_No, it's way too hot to start worrying about my old ways now. Just get used to it, Kagome…_

I close my eyes, waiting for my restless sleep to some.

_Just get used to it…_

A/n: Hey guys, sorry about not posting in a while, but if some of my other stories are getting better responses, I'm gonna write some more for them first.

*shrugs*

Sorry, that's just the way it works.

But if I see improvement here, maybe even three reviews (come on! You know that's not much to ask for!) then I'll write my next chapter for this story!

;3


	5. Awake

K-5

~Awake ~

Dislaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Kagome~~

I wake up to the sound of fighting, people shouting foul words all around. My eyes dart around the small pitched-up tent before recognizing anything.

_Oh… that's right… Today must be the first day of training. Kami, please let me survive this!_

I drag myself out of the sleepy confines of my tent and watch the infernal confusion outside. Punches thrown, kicks lashed out, bodies being tossed a good five feet. My ears twitch as someone to my right cries out a battle cry. He gets within arms length of my before I thrust my hand out – he simply ran into my fist.

The motion budges me an inch, but not enough for anyone to notice. I roll my eyes.

_Men…_

I excuse myself from the petty brawl, only having to defend myself when the attacks were directed towards me solely. I stroll through the open field we made camp in to the outcropping of trees, the soon-to-be warriors' voices softening the farther away I walk, and breathe in the fresh scent of the forest. It smells almost like home, well, my _feudal _home. Deep inside, I feel a pang of homesickness, but I push it down and lock it away.

_I can't help anyone if I sit on a rock and cry. I need to act strong, I need to **be** strong._

I lift my head and notice just where I'm going. Subconsciously, I've been making my way towards the stream we passed sometime yesterday. It's an hour away from here-

"But let's see what these legs can do!" I say to myself.

I take off. I've only felt this excitement whenever I rode on Inuyasha's back, and even then, it wasn't as fun as this! My legs never tire as I pump them heavily on the blurry ground. And that's all I see: blurry skies, blurry trees, and the blurry ground. Miraculously, I never run into any obstacle, always being able to maneuver around it at the last second.

_This is so much fun! _I think to myself before slowing down, smelling the refreshing scent of the stream nearby. A thought strikes me and causes me to smile.

_Maybe now I'll finally be able to see if I'm a legit copy of Inuyasha or not. Those men accepted me as being him, but Sesshomaru could have worn red and with his silver hair, could've passed as Inuyasha simply because he fit the prototype. _

I sigh, but steadily walk to the stream to find out the truth myself.

~~Inuyasha~~

**The youki grins maliciously at me, as if he knew something I didn't. I smirk at him.**

_**This youki is as good as dead! With one swing, Kagome and I can finally leave-**_

**I stop thinking all at once when I'm stabbed in the back and glance down. A purple spike pokes through the front of the Robe of the Fire, the poison painfully coursing through my blood. I fall from the youki's grasp after he snaps the end of his spike. I land on the ground with a thud; the alien object is driven deeper inside me, causing me to call out in agony. **

"AHHHH!" I sit up with all my might, the dream – no, the reoccurring nightmare - scaring the shit out of me. But the movement sends a stabbing pain in my abdomen. I squeeze my eyes shut, gritting my teeth, willing for the pain to leave me be. I wrap an arm around my middle and let out a low hiss as the pain finally subsides.

"Master Inuyasha!"

My ears swivel to catch Myoga's words. Cautiously, I open my eyes to find I'm sitting in the corner of Kaede's hut, the early morning's light flooding in from the doorway.

_How'd I get here? Kagome and I were a day's travel away-_

A sickening feeling glowers in the pit of my stomach, and it's not from the injury.

My eyes dart around dangerously, but I can't find her. I set my dagger-like eyes on the flea-youki.

"Myoga!" I bark, shaking from tension. "Where the hell is Kagome!"

I become more anxious, mostly annoyed, when the only response I get from my "mentor" is some word-fumbling and stuttering.

"Uh... w-well, you s-see… hrmm.." His voice softens with each stutter.

_She's dead… isn't she? I passed out on her in front of that damn youki and she freaking died!_

I fall back none too gently and my head lands on something soft. I reach up and take the balled up material from behind my head. In front of my, I can easily identify it as Kagome's school uniform top.

_It's been shredded, it's all in tatters and tears… Dammit Kagome! _

I press the ragged material to my nose, her scent faint, but still there. My throat closes up and my vision gets blurry.

In a fit of rage, I punch my right fist into the floor to the left of me, creating a decent size hole.

"Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!" I shout, my voice catching. With each curse, I punch the whole in Kaede's floor harder, until I'm hitting the dirt _under_ her hut. My body shudders as I curl into a ball on my side, clutching the remains of the girl's shirt. The girl I _swore_ to protect with my life.

I scoff.

_I did a hell of a job on that one…_

The flea, not understanding I _really _needed to be alone right now, lands on my exposed shoulder. I swat at him, but he misses my lame attack and lands almost in my ear.

"Inuyasha! You must do something, quickly!"

I shake my head and bury the tattered shirt closer to my chest. "I don't wana…"

I feel him tremble at the base of my ear. In an instant, he bites down, hard, on my ear.

"OWW!" I bolt right up, sending the flea to land at my feet. "What the fuck was that for?"

For once, Myoga spits out the blood and glares at me. Honestly, I feel a little unnerved by this. He's _never _looked at me like that.

"Master Inuyasha," he growls –who knew a flea could growl? "Kagome has sacrificed herself for you! While unconscious, three warriors came to the village to recruit men for the upcoming war! The men came to _this _hut and Kagome managed to convince them to return at a later time, the smart girl."

I nod. Kagome always _did _know how to get herself out of sticky situations.

"Okay, so what now? When the men came back later-"

"I'm not there yet. Be patient, young master." Myoga speaks with such finality. I sit up a little taller, knowing it wouldn't do me any good to interrupt anymore – so I might as well get comfortable. "Lady Kagome has, with an overwhelming amount of courage, taken your blood into her own body."

I stare at him for a moment before falling over. The harsh contact of the wooden floor against my temple bring me back to reality. Ignoring the searing pain in my middle, I crawl my way over to the flea.

"You let her do _what?" _ I growl through clenched teeth, eyes hardening at the sight of him.

"She was willing to do it, Inuyasha, so I told her what to do. Kaede actually performed the ritual for her." In a far off voice, he adds, "She was so brave, Inuyasha. Even after she transformed, she never strayed from her plan…"

_Kagome… What did you **do? **What plan is he talking about? Myoga says you sacrificed yourself for me, and that you welcomed my blood in your system, and then the warriors returned-_

"No…" I breathe, disbelieving. "Are you saying…"

Myoga nods his head solemnly. He looks at me with cold eyes and says, "Do you see now why you must do something? She went through the pains of looking _just like you _so that_ you_ wouldn't have to go into war! Who knows what they're doing to her right now…"

My eyes drift off to unseeing as I calculate a plan inside my head.

"How long have I been out?"

"I know not, Inuyasha, but it's been over a whole day since Lady Kagome's been with those brutes and-"

Once again ignoring the hole in my stomach causing my crisp bandages to become damp with fresh blood, I stand on wobbly knees ready to give at any moment. I glance over my shoulder to see Tessaiga propped up against the corner. I grab the hilt and use the rusted sword-in-sheath as a crutch. I start to make my way over to the opening in Kaede's hut, but Myoga stops me.

"Inuyasha!"

I snap my attention back at him with my eyes begging him as to why he's hampering with my plan to rescue Kagome.

_Kagome needs me more than ever, and you were telling me to **do **something moment ago. What the hell? _

My breathing becomes labored from that small effort, the air hardly making it to my lungs. I lean heavily on my sword for support. The flea lands on my nose.

"Inuyasha, if you reveal yourself to the army, they will know Kagome was impersonating you and they'll execute her on the spot. There's nothing you can do about it."

I lower my head while biting my lip, hearing the truth behind his words.

_Damn… Kagome, do you know just what you've gotten yourself into?_

I raise my head and limp out the door, still relying heavily on Tessaiga. Myoga lands on my shoulder and asks urgently, "Master Inuyasha, what do you think you're doing?"

I cough, irritating my wound, but trudge on.

"I'm saving Kagome, like always."

~~Kagome~~

I stop at the water's edge, the mid-morning light streaming through the canopy of the towering trees to decorate the coursing river.

_Am I sure I really want to see my reflection? _

…

_Heck yeah!_

I lean over and…

Nearly fall in the cool reflective stream from utter shock. I stumble to the side and crawl back to the water, arms shaking. Golden eyes stare back at me as silver hair falls from the hanyo's shoulders. His nose, his cheek bones, his lips… It's all Inuyasha-

_It's all me!_

A lump forms in my throat and a tear spills in the other Inuyasha's eyes, augmenting to the river that's probably already filled with tears. The mirroring hanyo smiles at me as I offer a small, sad smile in return. I shake my head and lean back to sit down, cradling my head in my clawed hands. I sniff my nose and more tears fall.

I look around to make sure no one can see the mighty half-demon Inuyasha weep, but not a soul appears. Assured, I bury my head in my hands again.

"Inuyasha," I cry softly. "I miss you so much… I wish I could know whether or not you're feeling better. I wish I could hold your hand. Gods, Inuyasha! I wish I knew what I could do for you-"

"How about giving me an explanation?" A voice behind me taunts. I dry my eyes in a flash and swallow that persistent lump in my throat before standing to face the voice, but I only see the bushes.

"Show yourself," I say, proud that I could speak in such a demanding way after my little breakdown.

A hunched figure stumbles out of the foliage to my left, using some sort of stick to support himself. As the figure nears in the dim light, however, I find my heart beating faster.

"Inuyasha?"

A/n: What's up guys? Did you like the chapter? I'm sorry it's not as long as some as the others, but it's what I got. And I want to apologize for the last chapter too, since some of you thought that it went by too quickly: I just reeeaalllyyy didn't want to talk through another chapter without Inuyasha.

Seriously! This is chapter FIVE folks and only now is our famous hanyo awake. Grrr…

But that's how the cookie crumbles – as they say.

Just so you know, I watched Mulan (a Disney movie, for those of you who do not immediately recognize the title) and I'm going to incorporate some of the training they did in here – different, of course, but it's a basis.

For those of you who don't know this little detail yet, I am now an official Beta-Reader! Please send me some stories! I love to edit!

I'm even thinking about (maybe this Sunday) having a writing marathon! I'd write all day until each of my stories was updated, and then I'd update some more. I have a _real_ life outside this amazing website, so that's why I'm only doing it for one day!

;3

Till Next Time!


	6. Hanyo Training Begins

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 6

~Hanyo Training Begins~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Inuyasha~~

I collapse, not being able to support myself anymore.

_Hell, it was a miracle I made it **this** far._

No sooner had I fallen on the forest floor than Kagome was at my side, cradling my head in her lap with her arms hanging loosely at my sides – keeping me there. I look up at her- erm… _him._

_Damn… this is so weird: it's like I'm staring back at my reflection…_

I let my eyes roam on the new hanyo, drinking in the sharp clawed hands, the wild silver hair, the concerned golden eyes, the Robe of the Fire Rat-

I knit my eyebrows together in confusion.

_Wait a second…_

"How did you get this?" I ask her, grabbing her arm and fingering _my _haori. As expected, the fabric grinds roughly against the pads of my fingers, a good sign that this clothed armor is the real thing.

"We had to take it off you to clean your wounds." She replies patiently, a slight catch in her gruff voice.

I smirk.

_Shit. Even her voice has changed! _

"Yeah? Well I'm glad you've got it on ya."

She pulls her arm away from my grasp and rests the back of her hand against my forehead, slick with sweat from all the effort it took to get here. I see her lips twitch into my frown and wipe some of the sweat off me.

"Inuyasha," She growls lowly. I have to resist the urge to laugh at the thought of Kagome growling, otherwise I'd be risking a 'sit'. "What are you doing here? You should be back at Kaede's resting until you're-"

"Until I'm what?" I snap. She closes her mouth and blinks at me, confused. "Until I'm better? Until I can stand? Until I can fight? Sorry if you couldn't tell, Kagome, but I can't really do _any_ of that when your ass is in trouble! Shit, Kagome!"

I muffle a groan and sit up, despite Kagome's protests, and turn around to face her.

"Kagome, if you hadn't allowed yourself to be whisked away – we could've-"

"What, Inuyasha!" Kagome barks, her face turning red from anger. I lean back, hoping to be out of the blast zone. "What else could I have done?"

"We could've high tailed it- as much as I hate the thought of retreating… Too much like that damn Kouga…"

Tears now pool in Kagome's eyes, the gold almost blinding in the sunlight. But I continue to stare at her, holding her gaze as she glares at me.

"Don't be a baka, Inuyasha! Where could we have run? They had already reached Kaede's and by the time we found out about their "recruiting" – they were already swarming all over the village! I couldn't have dragged you to the well! It took me _all day _and well into the night to reach Kaede's with you after that battle; my strength was gone! Whatever I had left I used to stay awake so I could help heal you!"

The robe ripples as her fury shakes her body.

_Ouch… So maybe this **was** her only choice, as infernal as it is. Did you really carry me **all day **back to Kaede's? Damn, gotta admire her determination. Uh-oh. She's got that glint in her eye-_

"OSWARI!"

Automatically, Tessaiga is thrown out of my reach as my entire body slams down. My forehead bangs against the ground and I lift it heavily, feeling everything inside bounce around. My vision blurs and I see a red figure on the ground as well.

_What…?_

My vision clears and I see Kagome clutching her throat as she kneels on the ground. Though the silver hair blocks me from seeing her face, I can tell by the way those ears on top of her head are flat against her head – she's in pain. I hear her desperately gasp for breath as her body shudders.

"Kagome?" I ask, inching towards her. I rub her back and pull the curtain of hair back enough to see her eyes screwed shut in pain. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

_Shit, what the hell is going on!_

"Inu… yasha?" Her voice shakes, causing my own to tremble as well – just from listening to my own voice. "That… That was weird…"

"What was that?"

"I think…" She sits up and looks me in the eye. I let my arm linger on her male waist. "I think _your_ blood reacted to the command. It's just… all of a sudden, it was like I couldn't breathe – that doesn't happen to you, does it?"

I shake my head and she sighs in relief.

"Good… Gods…" She closes her eyes and shakes her head to look at the river.

A sudden thought passes through my mind and I give her a wicked, malicious grin.

"I guess you don't want to "sit" me anymore, eh?"

She shakes her silver head, unleashing the wild locks. Her golden eyes pierce the ground, not yet looking at me yet – to see what was coming…

"Then you can't do anything about this!" I shout, ignoring the pain in my wounds as I launch my legs out from under me to pounce on Kagome.

_This is gonna be fun…._

~~Kagome~~

I turn just in time to see Inuyasha spring towards me. I am left with no time to react as he rams into me, forcing me to fall painfully against the ground on my back. On instinct, I draw my knees to my flat chest and kick him off me, sending him flying a few feet away from me. Hurriedly, I stand to see Inuyasha land on his feet – anticipation glowing in his eyes.

_What is he doing? Why is he attacking me? He's still a half-demon, so he's normal… This doesn't make sense…_

"Inuyasha!" I bark. Even though I don't want to fight him, I prepare myself for the attacks to come and stand in a defensive stance. "What are you doing?"

My ears twitch nervously to catch his reply; my eyes never leave him to catch his next move. For the moments that stretch into eons, we stare each other down – silently daring the other to make the first move. I cock my head at Inuyasha.

_Just what is going through your thick skull, Inuyasha? Did you hit your head when you fell? – No, I checked you for other injuries myself… Is it possible that the poison is making you delusional?_

Deciding this must be the reason as to why my copy is attacking me, I drop my guard and walk over to him with sure steps. With each step over to him, his growls become deeper and louder. He snarls at me.

I stop, eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Inuyasha?" I ask him, trying one last time to pull him out of his state.

_I really don't want to hurt him!_

"Inuyasha, snap out of it!"

Quicker than before, he runs up to me and grabs me by the throat. He slams me into the nearest tree, my head snapping back to painfully connect with the trunk. He snarls at me from below and bares his fangs. I find myself doing the same and my hands fly up to the fist wrapped around my windpipe.

"_You_ snap out of it!" Inuyasha yells; my ears fall back. I loosen my grip on him and stare into his golden eyes in confusion.

"Huh?" My hands fall limp beside me and I just hang there.

He squeezes harder, his claws pricking the skin and causes me to wince.

"Kagome, I don't want to see you die by the hands of these puny humans. I'll be dammed if I do – so I'm gonna train you to fight. Fight like the hanyo you _are!_" His ears flatten against his skull in fury as he watches me for a reaction.

_He's just worried about me… He's worried I'll get myself killed in battle._

I frown.

_But I've been battling by his side for so long now. Doesn't he have faith that I'll keep my own in a fight? That I can protect myself?_

I swing my leg out and sweep it to the left until it hits Inuyasha's legs, knocking him clean off his feet. His tight grip on my throat vanishes as he turns to catch himself. I slide down the base of the tree as he flips at the last second to land on his feet, watching me.

_I guess I have something to learn…_

"Oof!" I fall flat of my rump at the bottom of the tree, having been too busy studying Inuyasha's aero-acrobatics. I get up, rubbing my sore behind, and hear Inuyasha snicker. "Oh, _shaddup!"_

I whirl around with my claws ready and manage to catch his shoulder, tearing apart his white haori. He had been trying to sneak behind me and catch me off guard, but my extra sense gave me a heads up. He stumbles back, shock apparent on his face, but then it fades to another smirk.

"What? Only a _scratch?"_ He taunts me, revealing that I hadn't even done that by brushing the shredded fabric off his shoulder. I growl in disappointment. "You're gonna have to do better than that!"

He charges at me, and I charge at him equally. I feign left and Inuyasha easily takes the bait. I jerk myself just to the right of him and as we start to pass each other, I hook my left arm with his left. I pull all my weight just behind him, dragging him behind me, and force him to roll across my back.

Inuyasha lands on the hard ground on his back, a whoosh of air escaping his lips. When he starts to get up, I push him down and lock his knees in place with my own. Inches apart from his face, I bare my fangs and narrow my eyes.

"You were saying…" I spit out.

I was expecting him to snarl, to head butt me and attack, but I was _not _expecting him to relax under me and smile.

"Thank you, Kagome." He says softly as he closes his eyes. I look at him bewildered.

_What!_

I sit up, straddling his waist now, and just stare at him. He lies there with his arms wide open and a semi-peaceful expression on his face. Not looking at me, he says, "If you can fight _me,_ you can fight any man actually trying to kill you on the field… I just wish it didn't have to go that far…"

I nod to myself.

_That makes sense now… Yes, when those villagers come at me, I'll be able to defend myself from their petty farm equipment/weapons. But that's all I'll do – defend myself. I don't **want** to hurt those men, but if they have the intent to kill-_

I freeze. Something warm soaks the inside of my thighs. I jump up and land five feet away, screaming.

"What was that!" I shout, still freaking out.

Inuyasha groans and sits up, a hand immediately going to his stomach. I walk closer to him and see just what was causing my priestess pants to be stained – his blood.

"Baka!" I yell at him, not caring when I saw his ears flatten as he winced at my words. "You freakin' opened your wounds again!"

I sink to my knees next to him, swatting his hands away from his abdomen.

"Guess we have to fix them again…" I mutter to myself, brow furrowing in concentration as I focus on undoing his bandages.

"We're not… finished… Not in the long run, we're not…" He grunts out as I force him lie back on the ground.

"Uh-huh," I nod, too focused on the wound.

A/n: Yeah, yeah. Long time – no hear. But anyways, how's it going? I know most of you guys are now out of school for Summer Vacation!

XD

Who doesn't love that?

I hope the fight scene was decent…

Till next time!

Oh! By the way, I am now VERY active on – user name is the same.

Check me out sometime!


	7. Recruiting

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 7

~Recruiting~

o

I am sooo sorry guys! I re-read my story form the beginning, and I can see some MAJOR mistakes. How did I forget about SHIPPO? He's practically my favorite character!

*looks to the side* Sorry, Inuyasha… he's just cuter than you – no offense.

So here's what Shippo's been doing…

Disclaimer: I do not Own Inuyasha!

~~Shippo~~

I emerge from the bushes near Kaede's hut and return at noon like she said.

"That Kaede," I say out loud to myself. "Why did she send me away?"

**FLASHBACK**

I wake up and before I can even open my eyes, I can smell Kagome's scent.

_Yay… _I think sleepily. _ Kagome's back…_

Groggily, I roll over and sit up on the futon, rubbing the rest of the sleep out of my eyes. I clink a few times, and nearly have a heart attack – kids can't have heart attacks, can they? – from the scene just beyond my pawed feet.

"I-i-i-nuya-a-asshaa?" I manage to say through my chattering teeth. I scoot back until I hit the hut wall.

I don't get a reply.

_Why are there **two **Inuyashas sleeping together? I-I-I must be seeing things. Yeah! That's it! If I close my eyes and count the three-_

"Shippo-"

"AAAHH! –Hmp!" The moment someone said my name, I cried out in surprise.

_Though really, I was just trying to scare them away, that's all!_

My plan, however, didn't go very far since someone covered my mouth with an old hand. I struggle against the grip until I recognize the scent. I still, then _gently_ remove the old priestess's fingers from my face. I look up.

"Kaede?"

She nods.

"Aye, child."

I turn my liquid blue eyes onto the strange pair in the corner and ask, "Kaede? What's going on? Where's Kagome? More importantly, _why are there __**two**__ Inuyashas?"_

She shakes her head and replies in a soft whisper, "This is something that cannot be discussed at the moment. Shippo, you must leave for the time being. Return tomorrow when the sun is well into the sky, and I shall explain everything."

I turn around and look at her, her eyes sad for some unknown reason.

"Kaede-"

"Go, child!" She cries urgently, her one good eye wide with caution. "Go before dawn! Or bad misfortunes shall fall upon us!"

Not understanding her reasoning, I dash out of the hut on all fours, sprinting into the woods.

END OF FLASHBACK

"I'll get some answers out of her now, just you wait!" I say happily to no one in particular. I walk through the village with a smile on my face.

_The sun is shining! The water is refreshingly cool! The village women are gossiping about the village men are, as usual, and the men are wor- Wait a second!_

I carefully look around me, and notice something's off. There are women, and girls, and children…. But no men. Why?

I run over to the side of the nearest hut, ignoring the way the straw scratches my tender skin, and peer around the corner.

Far off, I hear a male voice say disappointedly, "I guess Lord Kabashi's forces have already swept this village clean of recruits. Pity."

I find the owner of the voice and raise an eyebrow.

_Recruits? Lord Kabashi? What's going on?_

The man dressed in traditional fish-scale armor shakes his head, his black helmet snuggled in the crook of his heavily padded arm. I lean away from the corner to get a better look at the _only _men in the village, but lean too far and fall.

"Wah!" I shout as I face plant into the dirt.

_Well, _I think to myself as I pick myself off the ground and dust myself off. _At least it wasn't as painful as Kagome's 'sit.'_

"HEY! You!" That man calls after me. I cock my head at him.

"Huh?..."

He and the three men he had been talking to start running towards me.

I lean away, cringing with each step they took towards me.

_THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD!_

"WAHH! KAGOME!" I cry as I give chase. I waste no time and make zigzags on all fours. I call over my shoulder, "Stay away from me!"

I make a quick turn behind a hut and force myself to breathe evenly and remain hidden. I crouch low to the ground, to better my chances, and wait until the men passed my secret spot.

_Haha! Now, to Kaede's…_

I step out from behind the hut and come nose to nose to the first man I met.

"WAAAHH!" I stumble back, but only succeed in crashing into the other three men's wall of padded legs. I stand up quickly, but they've already circled around me, trapping me.

The other three men are armored in red fish-scale armor, each wearing a smug smile on their face. I frown at their overconfidence.

In the blink of an eye, the leader in black grabs me by the tail and lifts me into the air.

"Hey-hey-hey! That's sensitive, you know-"

"You're a full-demon, aren't you? And a _fox_-demon at that!" He inspects me while dangling in the air, and I begin to get self-conscious. "Tricksters will certainly be needed…"

_Why the nerve of that guy! If he doesn't let go in **five** seconds, I'm gonna-_

"Join the army of Lord Mitchiru, rival of the enemy Lord Kabashi. You shall be a _very_ useful tool in our war," the man in black offers.

I stare at him in shock.

"But I'm just a kid!"

He shakes his head and with a wave of his hand, says, "That matters not. Your demon blood makes up what you lack in age. Please," he begs. "We fear that we are hopelessly outnumbered and are in desperate need of a demon ally."

I squeeze my eyes shut and scream, "INUYASHAAAA- hmp!"

I snap my eyes open and bite the black man's hand covering my mouth. He yelps and drops me, none too gently, on the ground. Before I can make my escape, however, a large foot steps heavily on my tail; effectively holding me in place.

The other warriors step back while their leader crouches down to my level, sucking on the bite marks I gave him. He peers at me over his injured hand with serious eyes.

"How is it that _you_ are in acquaintances with the Great Dog Demon's son? And since you called him when you thought we were going to hurt you, sounds to me like you're in good relations with him." He leans in even closer to my face, his breath brushing my hair out of my eyes. "_very good_ relations…"

"Inuyasha is my friend!" On second thought, I add, "Though he can be a jerk sometimes… No, _most_ of the time. I have to knots on my head to prove it! But he protects me and Kagome and-"

"Ahhh…" he says to himself more than his subordinates. He straightens until he towers over me. He motions for the two men behind him to come closer and whispers, "We must have this dog-demon on our side, it'll be a sure win with little bloodshed… Well, little bloodshed on _our_ side…" He smiles maliciously, causing me to cringe in the dust.

I shiver at the events he insinuates will happen.

_He's gonna force Inuyasha to battle in a human war! Inuyasha won't like that…_

"Tell me, where can we find this 'Inuyasha'?"

I shake my head.

"I don't know, I really don't!"

The man groans and says to the other men. "Take this one. We still have use for him if nothing else."

Before I can protest, a big bag is thrown over my head and I find myself whisked off my feet, being completely in the back. I start to struggle inside, looking for a toy inside my vest to use with fox magic, but the man holding the bag bonks me on the head much harder than Inuyasha ever does.

I moan as I start to see stars.

Then nothing at all.

A/n: Ooohhh! Another twist! Did you guys see that coming?

XD

Bet not! Shoot, I didn't see it until today!

Hope I satisfied my fellow Shippo lovers out there!

;3

Till Next Time!


	8. Weapon of Choice?

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 8

~Weapon of Choice?~

HEY!

;3

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a looonnggg time, but I've been living life! Between animecons (the hand-sewn hakamas were a hit! Someone thought I was Inuyasha and made me "sit!" XD), color-guard (practice everyday and this is my inspiration for this chapter. Just wait, you'll see! ;D), AND THEN Driver's Ed summer class?…. Yeah, life's been a tad busy!

'D

Stay until after the credits, folks! I've got shout-outs!

Now…

ON WITH THE SHOW!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!

~~Kagome~~

After I patched up Inuyasha and leave him leaning against the trunk of a large, shady tree, I head back to camp. Half way there, a small-fry youki pops out of the bushes shouldering the road. Having heard him prior to the attack, I easily slice him. For a moment, I just stare at the carcass, then my sullied hands.

_That was the first time I actually killed anything like that… Usually, I purify it and like to think its soul has been saved, but this…_

I look at the shredded remains of the blue and green insect, a dragon-fly.

_This is totally different! _

I can feel the hot blood seep under my finger nails as it runs down my hands in rivulets. I can _feel _the life of the unfortunate youki drift away off my blood-stained claws. I can _feel_ the red liquid thicken as it cools on my hands and want more _fresh _bloo-

I readily shake my head, happy to be rid of those weird thoughts.

_Is this what Inuyasha feels from time to time?_

I wipe the blood on the hem of the priestess pants and crouch low to inspect my kill. I lift its wings; poke its legs, etc. Finally, I rock back on my heels and contemplate on bringing my kill with me.

_Sango's clan had used youki hides as armor… Maybe this army can as well? _

With that in mind, I haul the youki over my shoulder and continue my trek jogging to catch up for lost time.

As I near the human war quarters around mid-evening, I noticed the air seems… thick. I look about the sea of white tents, but no warrior is in sight. I crouch low; the insect now sprawled out on my back, and continue my investigation.

_Where are all the men? _I think to myself as I tune into my sense of smell. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, ignoring the coopery scent of blood staining Inuyasha's haori. _All the camp stuff is here... So the men would have packed up if they went anywhere too far, right? _

My eyes snap open, catching the sweaty, male scent.

_Yep. They're here, but the question is… Where?_

"… can you men tell me… the hell you were fighting…. brother to brother?..." My ears swivel back and forth to catch more of the voice, and I follow it to the source.

"You call yourselves…. Despicable… got daughters instead of…"

I poke my head around the massive kitchen tent and let the youki drop to the dusty ground.

In front of a herd of armored men of all ages, General Dintu is red-faced and yells at his troop, hammering blow after blow. He yells insults and sharp reprimands at the troop until he's blue in the face. Always, his arms thick with muscles wave around in rushed motions. No longer tied neatly behind his head, his black hair flies wildly; seeming to crack like a whip each time he snaps his head to glare mercilessly at someone with his cold ice-blue eyes. Even from my distance away from the general, about fifty feet, I can easily pick out all his veins that pop up in his neck.

I rock on my heels, out of sight. I press the palm of my hand to my forehead, reveling in its coolness.

_Whoa! Know I know why they call him Flame-heart…_

"INUYASHA!" I hear him bellow.

I jump and cover my mouth to muffle my squeak of surprise.

_Wha-what did **I **do wrong?_

I take a deep breath, pick up my game (the dragon-fly) to sling it onto my back, and reveal myself to the eyes of man. Each pair is different: scared, tired, angry, sly – but all look at me expectantly, _waiting_ for me to do something. I look coolly back at them, every one of them. By now, the entire camp has fallen silent.

I lock eyes with General Dintu, his blood-shot eyes. I raise an eyebrow, as if to say "what now?"

Another vein, if possible, pops on his forehead.

_Uh-oh… bad move._

"INUYASHA, BE SO KIND AS TO INFORM JUST _WHY_ YOU LEFT CAMP GROUNDS THIS MORNING? YOU CANNOT JUST LEAVE WITHOUT PERMISSION – THAT'S AGAINST REGULATIONS!"

_Whoops! Uh… Come on! Think of something, anything! _

I gulp and walk until I'm within five feet of him, not showing my superior any fear.

_hrmm….!_

"Sir?" I clear my throat and say in a more confidant manner, "Sir. I sensed a youki on the outskirts of the camp and annihilated the threat." I sling the dragon-fly off my back and fling onto the ground by his feet.

_Youki, annihilated, threat… yep, strong words should pull them over to my side of the fence, no?_

I can visibly notice the change in demeanor in General Dintu. His flushed face reverts to his normal complexion. The veins just boiling with mad blood sink below the surface. His eyes erase all signs of hostility and pool serenity; nice, calm serenity.

He narrows his eyes at me, disbelieving, and lowers himself until his padded knees touch the ground. On his hands and knees, he conducts the same experiment as I had. He looks up at me and rises to his feet, chin up and looking proud.

"Alright, good work, Inuyasha." He steps over the small-fry with one large stride and walks up to me until we're nose to nose; his breath breezing by my cracked lips. Waaayyy to close for comfort! "However… This shrimp is not that important, you hear? Simply _inform_ us that there _is _a threat, and we will take care of it. If it is more than we can handle, _then_ we'll call you out. Get it?"

"Got it," I spit out.

"Good," he spits back, turning to face his disheveled men; each sporting a gash or bruise. He barely turns his head to look at me in his peripheral vision. "However… Mr. Inuyasha still does not have the authority or the clearance to do such acts of _goodness."_

General Dintu looks away from me and to his left; thrusting his right arm out. Immediately, a slender, wooden pole glides through the air and he catches it effortlessly without even budging! I toss a glance over to where the pole was thrown from and find several men carrying five to ten identical poles each. As General Dintu resumes talking, his subordinates start handing the tall poles out.

"Men, this-" he thrusts his pole into the air horizontally to indicate what he's about to talk about, "- will be your weapon of choice for the next couple of weeks. Or fewer – if we are pressed into battle sooner than expected. If that's the case, we shall retrieve our trusty farm tools and use them to reap the enemy's souls instead of harvest. However, that is _not_ the case, so we shall commence to train with these."

One man doesn't try to hand me my pole, but tosses it like a spear from ten feet away. I hold my arm up to where the extra material falls off the arm in the sleeve and after a pleasing shattering sound, I lower my arm to see splinters and remains of the once elegantly smooth rod scattered about my bare feet. I look up at the man who threw it, who now is standing tall with full attention on his general, but I can feel the sneer creeping on his face. I memorize his profile and realize it's Higurd: nasty, deranged Higurd.

_Guess the boy didn't learn his lesson,_ I think to myself as my thoughts roam to our encounter in the woods before we stepped foot in camp.

Out of nowhere, General Dintu attacks me with the slender pole in his tight-gripped hands. There's a flame in his eyes, and for a second, I freak out.

_Why is he attacking me? What's going on? I'm not supposed to counter-attack, am I?_

I cross my arms over my head, creating an armored curtain. I wince as the wood snaps on contact, the sting reaching my skin.

_The Robe of the Fire Rat can't protect me from everything…_

I lower my arms a fraction of an inch and find the butt of the pole in my face. Before I have time to even think about moving, General Dintu stabs the pole in my right eye. I cry out and wrench the wood out with an iron grip, wrestling it out of General Dintu's calloused hands and squeezing it until it too snaps.

As I rub my eye, trying in some way to nurse the bruised sight organ, I shout, "What the _hell_ was that?"

I jump on the inside, the foul word having just rolled off my tongue with such ease.

_I'm becoming more like Inuyasha than I thought…_

Just as I look up, I see another man hand General Dintu a 'weapon of choice."

"And another note: I never, _never _want to see another meaningless brawl or any kind of combat on my camp – is that clear?" His low voice bellows.

"Yes, Sir!" the men in the square formation reply all at once, creating one mighty voice out of many.

"Excellent!" He turns to face his men. His left hand extends my way, but he's too far away to help me up. "Now. Inuyasha will be _happy_ to help you fine men train with your new tools, the other side of you. Remember: there is no such thing as 'a man and his weapon," but the weapon shall serve as an extended part of your being."

I stare up at him, being lost at the part where I had somehow _volunteered_ to be a _punching bag!_

_This is nuts! They **hate** me! They're gonna **kill **me!_

"Uhh, Sir, I don't think that's such a good idea-"

I have never seen a man go from nearly calm to ready to explode as quickly as my 'sensei' had. Even with only one eye, I can see his fury.

"ARE YOU DISRESPECTING MY REQUEST? AFTER I ALLOWED YOUR WOMAN TO HOLD YOU OVER FOR THE NIGHT TO SLEEP WITH YOU?"

I have to work very hard not to blush.

_Does he use blackmail like this on everyone? He didn't need to shout that out… On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have insinuated **that**…_

With my right hand covering my right eye, I wave my left hand at him wildly.

"N-no sir! It's just-"

He takes three large strides and is by my side in an instant. Without flinching, he uses the butt of his new pole to jab my stomach, roughly. The wind leaves my lungs in an audible whoosh and I double over, only to have my nose kneed. I'm knocked over to collapse on my side that exposes all my critical organs to the general.

At this thought, I curl up in a ball to protect what I have left.

"I thought we were clear on the subject that you merely _inform_ us if anything happens, not to actually _take action…_" I hear him snicker.

My eyes snap open and I see several other men walk over to me, each wearing a nasty grin on his face and a gleam in their eyes.

_He really **does** want me to be the punching bag… Kaede wasn't kidding when she said Inuyasha would have it bad in the military…_

**FLASHBACK**

"_That matters not, child." She said as I told her the men couldn't possibly take Inuyasha if he was injured. He will heal, and he being a half-demon is better than ten men combined. He is a valuable asset to Lord Kabashi, but will only be treated like a slave in between battles."_

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

_Treated like a slave…. Most slaves are just put to work and sometimes beat without reason but…. _

And then the first of a long series of 'unnecessary punishments' rains down upon me as Higurd steps to me. He smiles widely; his pole swinging downward in a forceful arc until-

A/n: Cliffhanger!

*sees angry readers*

…

*hides behind Shippou*

Come on guys! You wouldn't hurt _this_ little fella, would ya?

Shippo: Hey! Who are you calling 'little?' And you made me get kidnapped in the last chapter! It's creepy here at Lord Mitchiru's camp! I WANT KAGOME!

Me: *sweat-drop* uh- uh-uh…. Um, don't worry! *smiles and pats his cute little orange head* _Someone_ will save you…

Crap. Nearly gave it away.

Anyway! Want to give shout outs!

Trunks' Hottie: Yes, he is a small child (but don't tell _him _that!) but that's why he's so perfect. Next to Kagome, he's one of the top characters who gets kidnapped a lot!

;3

The role was just fated for our cute… little…

…

He's right behind me, isn't he?

-.-*

ninjamidori: Yeah, I feel ya! And the thing is, _no one knows he's been kidnapped yet!_

…

Tells you how much the other characters care about him…

*gets an idea*

SHIPPO! Come here, I wanna adopt you!

Shippo: NO! You're only gonna make me get-

Me: *covers mouth* Not. Another. Word, Pup…

Doggie2Tails: thanks! That was my real first attempt at a fight scene as violent as that; I'm glad it was good!

X33

Aria Mai Olican-Wren: Thank you! I didn't plan on this chapter being so long, so my plans for Inuyasha's POV will give me a head start for the next chapter!

;3

anon:  Thanks for the warning – how are things so far? Are they still too fast?

UltimateOtakuGirl100: I'm glad the beginning was good, but I haven't heard anything from you since chapter 2… Did I lose your interest?

Dx


	9. The Blood Stirs

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 9

~Inuyasha's Calling~~

Hey guys! Here's the other part I was telling Aria Mai Olican-Wren in the last chapter.

*rubs hands together*

And now the plot thickens…

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha…

~~Inuyasha~~

_Damn… This stomach wound stings like a bitc-_

My thoughts are interrupted as another wave of pain ripples through me.

"Gah!" I choke out, followed by a hiss. I wrap my middle with my right hand, clutching tightly onto the new bandages Kagome had wrapped around me. I force myself to sit up higher against the roots of the tree, but the movement only irritates the wound.

_Still, _I think to myself. _Teaching Kagome how to fight properly is well worth this temporary pain…_

Suddenly, my blood stirs violently, causing me to cry out again. I feel the demon locked inside me start to rise, but I kick it down. Another stirring and I'm clawing at the ground.

_Wha-what is that? That's… that's not my demon that's causing that…. Unless my demon is reacting to something else…!_

Of course! Kagome must be in trouble. With my blood in her, it makes sense that my body is reacting to her.

A part of me feels satisfied that I've solved the mystery without the help of that lecherous monk or my crazed 'mentor.' But as the wheels continue turning in my skull, I realize just what my thoughts have led to.

_Kagome's in trouble… _

I grit my teeth and grab Tessaiga; hauling myself to two – however wobbly – feet.

_Kagome was heading back to the camp, but that was over an hour ago. She must have gotten there by now – so those bastards are probably doing something to her right now. Something they'll quickly regret! _

I start my trek and make my way over to where I know a road lies. It's a slow process: I dig and grind Tessaiga into the dry ground, putting all of my weight into pushing it behind me as if I'm rowing with an oar so that I can actually _move forward. _

_It's gonna take me forever to reach her on time! Damn! And if I don't get there in time…_

Another wave of pain ripples through my core, causing me to either shudder in agony or stumble to the ground. Considering I might not _get up_ if I fall – I stop my procession and ride out the pain.

_Damn it all! _

The stabbing pain ends and I quickly find myself just on the edge, just out of view, of my desired road. Only an unusually tall bush blocks me from stepping directly onto the well-traveled path. I rock on my heels and probe the thick bush with the tip of my sword, but I can't get the branches to part enough for me to _squeeze _through. I peer to the left and right, but this bush might as well have been a towering stone wall – and because I'm injured, I can't jump over it!

_Shit, this means more walking… _ I think with a scowl. Just as I turn to walk down the left side of the bush, voices waver over to me.

"I'm telling you, Guunta." My ears twitch to better catch the young male voice. Not even all that young- maybe just in his late twenties. My thick eyebrows knit together in concentration: don't fall, don't pass out, listen.

"eh… I don't know, scout. That just doesn't seem to be enough to win the war."

I cock my head, closing my eyes.

_Scout? So these weaklings are just look-outs. But what are they talking about that could end the war in** their** favor?_

As their footsteps near, I open my eyes and position myself on the side of the bushes opposite to them – this way I can identify just who I'm getting information form.

_And if it turns out to be a whole bunch of crap…_

Two men clothed in traditional monk attire pause just feet away from where I hide in wait. I raise an eyebrow at their choice of clothing, but shrug it off. After all, scouts are notorious to dress in disguise to better receive information. The slightly shorter one fumbles with his basket straps over his shoulders, but his companion readjusts them before the tan whicker basket against his back can fall off.

"Thanks," I hear him mutter. "But honestly! I swear upon Buddha and all his deities that this will work. We already have that powerful full-youki on our side-"

_What? _I scoff mentally at the two scouts. _Why on earth would a full-blooded youki be interested in a pity human war? That make's as much sense as a rat's ass-_

"And he being a _fox_ demon will greatly aid us in battle – distracting Lord Kabashi's men to their wits' end! Ho-ho! That will be a site I'd risk courting death with!" To seal his fate, he even mutters a prayer to the heavens for the dark day.

I lower my head and screw my eyes shut, ignoring the pain ebbing at my sanity.

_Kabashi… Where have I heard that name before?_

"Suurrreee…" A gruff voice draws out. I look up to see the taller of the two cocks an eyebrow at his companion's overconfidence. "And man will walk on the moon!"

They crack up laughing in the middle of the road, knowing they will never see the confusion this Kabashi's troops will be dealt with. I remain quiet in the shadows as the men stand from their doubled-over position and wipe the tears threatening to spill out of their eyes.

"Ho-ho! And just what was this demon's name, you say?"

"Shippo, sir." The youth calmly replies, all evidence of his outburst having vanished. I freeze at the spot and become deaf to their next conversation about the gambling back at camp.

_They've got Shippo? No, no. I would've seen him before I left Kaede's, right? Yeah, that's it. They must have some other Shippo-_

"And that kitsune keeps swindling all of us out of our own bloody money! How I'd like to wrap my hand around his scrawny little-"

With a sigh, I think, _Yep, that's __**our **__Shippo. I don't know how many cases of ramen I've lost to him over the past year… Only question now is: what should I do?_

_Go to Kagome, save her, and tell her about Shippo? Or just go rescue the runt myself?_

I growl quietly to myself – careful to _not_ be detected by the adversary.

_No . If I go to Kagome and tell her Shippo's gone – she'll 'sit' me to oblivion, regardless or the effects the command is giving her now. Shippo is no doubt her pup in many ways – she'd be terribly heartbroken if I told Kagome her kit was stolen…. And then that cold feeling of loss would boil to anger – probably because I didn't go save him while I had the chance – and she'd chew me out like none before…_

I cringe in the foliage and realize what I must do.

I sheath Tessaiga and stand tall, prepping myself to appear as intimidating as possible. Yes, a limping _half-breed_ won't get anything, but a _battle-worn_ _half-demon _will. I smirk and jump over the bushes, shuddering when I make contact with the ground that rattles my bones. But I shake the pain off and stand tall with my chest puffed out and chin high – and by the way those two _men_ are quivering from shock, or surprise, or both!

"Oi!" I bark, bringing the scouts out of their shock. "Tell me where you're hiding the brat, and I'll let you go. If you refuse…" I flash them a wicked grin and brandish my claws for them to see. "Well, I think you can imagine what the consequences will be."

The younger looks at his elder and both exchange a mysterious grin, a glint in their eyes.

_What the heck is that?_

Finally, the one called Guunta looks at me with a fearful – though now I'm sure it's fake – expression plastered on his face.

"Why of course…" He starts.

He actually gives me precise directions to their camp, which hut Shippo's in, _even which side of the room!_

I eye the duo suspiciously, but bound away from them nonetheless. I make it five-hundred yards before collapsing on yet another tree.

_Dammit! _

Once again, I ride out the pain. When it subsides, I get up on my feet, unsheathe Tessaiga and continue my trek.

_I promise Shippo, I __**will**__find you… Kagome? I __**swear**__**on my life **__I will come back for you!_

**A FEW HOURS LATER…**

"Shit," I mutter. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Calm yourself down, Inuyasha!" Shippo calls from the other side of the small, poorly lit room, brandied in the same condition as I: arms spread wide and wrists accessorized with rusty shackles riddled with ofudas and sutras and almost any kind of purifying parchment ot prevent us from escaping.

"Damn it all!" I yell. I had been duped, swindled, _tricked…_ As soon as I made it inside the deserted encampment –which I thought was strange from the start – the strongest of the Lord Mitchiru's men tackled me and pinned me down in my weakened state until a paid monk came and paralyzed me with a sutra in the mouth.

I spit to the side of me at the _fond_ memory and cringe. I move a fraction to ease some of the tension in my shoulders, but that slight movement causes a shock of pure energy to whip down my spine – paralyzing me the eighteenth time in the past five minutes.

"Why'd you even come, Inuyasha?" I hear the runt say in an annoyed tone. Not being able to look at him, I say, "What? Not happy to see me, Brat?"

I smirk to myself as I hear him sigh and imagine him rolling his blue-green eyes.

"Inuyasha! Where's Kagome? Why were there _two_ of you sleeping together? Where's Kagome? Why are you so injured? Who are these men? WHERE'S KAGOME? How are we gonna get out of this? But more importantly…" The effects of the ofudas wear off and I roll my head to alleviate the stiffness in it.

"**WHERE IS MY KAGOME?"**

I raise an eyebrow.

"_Your _Kagome?"

"Yes, you have a problem with that, Inuyasha? So that makes you… Feh! _Happy Father's Day,_ Inuyasha…"

"Father's Day?"

"Just something Kagome told me a while back that is today. Lemme tell you, you're doing a _fine_ job, _Dad. _ Now give me some answers! I'm clueless!"

"As usual," I mutter, no doubt he heard me, however. "Let's see… I have no clue what you're going on about; I'm scratched up from a previous youki encounter; these are Lord Mitchiru's men – he's at war with Lord Kabashi, pointless as human wars are; I don't know yet, I'm working at it; and Kagome is…"

I drift off, not quiet sure how to explain the shit Kagome's gotten into.

_There's nothing but he truth, but even **I **don't know all of that… I'll go with what I got I guess-_

A toy snake hits me smack in the face and I look up to se the runt glaring at me. I stare him down and realize he sacrificed getting paralyzed with throwing something at my face.

"Why you little-"

"Tell me." He whimpers out – either from under the stiffening stress of the energy or Shippo's getting really emotional, I couldn't tell the difference. "I _need_ to know, either way. Tell me, Inuyasha. Tell me now!"

I bow my head and start off in a whisper, "Well, you see-"

A/n: Cliffhanger! I wanted to get this out today so I could insert that little Father's Day tribute in there – yeah, yeah; it was a little dark fluffy, but I thought it would be semi-cute?

X3

Yeah… Not much happened in this chapter – to me! – but I didn't wanna risk writing an epoch (that's a really long poem, for those who didn't know that).

Till next time!

;3

P.s. Who's POV should it be next time in the beginning of the next chappie? Shippo? Inuyasha? Back to Kagome?

*ponders with the reviewers*

…

This'll take a while; I'll go make the ramen!

And HAPPY FATER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADS!

XDD


	10. Truth Comin' 'Round

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 10

~Truth Comin' 'Round~

Yay! Double digits! Oh! And I had this ready yesterday – however, my computer _still_ won't let me on the internet, so I'm using my grandfather's laptop for the time being. This shouldn't affect anything updating wise, but it'll make the process a little longer. Anyway…

X33

Let's see who our POV is!

But first, I must explain what's been going on in the past couple of chapters. No, Shippo was _not _tortured: he may be small, but man still fears all full-youki (even small fry! ;3) and they plan on training Shippo into a powerful full-youki that all the while will be fighting on their side of the war. The men are _terrified_ to mistreat him and desperately need his aid in battle.

Inuyasha, however, is only half; thus, he'll be doubly mistreated to make up for what's not being brought down upon our favorite kitsune.

*gasp!*

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Shippo~~

As the paralyzing effects wear off and I can move on my own again, I lean closer to Inuyasha – despite the fact he's on the other side of the room.

_Come on, Inuyasha! _ I think, annoyed the half-demon is taking so long to answer. _What happened to Kagome? I __**need**__ to know. I'm big enough to handle the truth, I know I am! Right? Right! _

"She's on the other side… Lord Kabashi's side…" He looks up at me through his silver bangs. I roll my eyes and retort, "Yeah, right. Now why don't you tell me the truth?"

I see him stiffen and snap his head up; his eyes are a blazing golden mass of fury.

"Kagome's too good-hearted for war, "I explain. "There's just no way she'd willingly-"

"She didn't!" He barks furiously at me. I jump and cock my head, waiting for him to continue. He averts his gaze from me and lowers his head in a shameful manner. "I… I-I couldn't go, so she took my place."

_**You** wanted to go to war? That doesn't make any sense…_

"Inuyasha, stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth!"

He sighs, causing his bangs to flutter slightly against his damp forehead. His eyes dart around on the ground, anywhere but at me. His lips are firmly pressed together.

"Pup, I _am_ telling the damn truth! _You _just won't listen!" He rolls his eyes and knits his black brows. "Alright. Let's go back a bit. Remember the _Inuyashas_ you saw? I was definitely one and… Kagome was the other-"

"WHHAAA?"

"Shaddup, you little brat!" he snaps, his voice echoing off the cold stone walls. In a hurried voce, his words jumble together, but I hear him say, "Kagome took my blood and is using my identity so she could take my place. Don't you know _anything _about demon rituals?"

"Well," I say, looking up at the bare ceiling. "That's what Mother and Father called it when they would go to the back of out fox den after I was put to bed, they took off their clothes, then hug _really_ clos-"

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" he cries, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head side to side. "That is _not_ what I meant!"

He blinks rapidly on the other side of the room, his golden irises blazing in a world so dark. Our only illumination drifts in lazily from a barred window to the extreme right of us.

My eyes lose their focus as I think about what he's saying. Well, what he said _before._

_Kagome… is at war… on the __**other**__side… disguised as Inuyasha…!_

My orange head snaps up as I cry, "Inuyasha! With you on _this_ side of the war, what will the enemy think if Lord Mitchiru's generals start bragging about having 'The Great Dog Demon's son' while Kagome's over there?"

I can clearly see Inuyasha's eyes widen in surprise with a mixture of shock; then screwing them shut whilst growling and struggling against the chains. He snarls and kicks and thrashes about, anything to loosen his restraints before the pure energy stills his seething form.

With a sad expression on my face, I think to myself before turning away, _It's no use, Inuyasha. Not now. But I'll pray no loud-mouth blabs about you, Inuyasha, being on __**either**__ side of the war – who knows what terror will follow._

~~Kagome~~

"Uuuggghhhhh…." I groan, dragging myself into my tent with one good eye. I clutch hopelessly to my left arm, broken in what I can feel as a clean break. I collapse onto my make-shift cot and just lie there, all of my energy having been drawn as it tries to heal my broken body. Bruises cover every inch of skin on my arms, legs, torso, etc.

I breathe a little too much and a stabbing sensation plagues my side. I press my lips together.

'_Practice' was __**fantastic! **_I think sarcastically, remembering each and every blow.

I cringe and roll myself over, coming face to face with Higurd – nasty man.

I moan and drag out, "What do you _want_, Higurd."

He smiles and says coyly, "Oh, nothing… But I think I have some information _you _might be interested in, oh Great Dog Demon's son… Or so you call yourself-"

"I can't help what people call me, and you know it, creep." I say sharply, not letting him get any ideas that I think above anyone. That's only end in more pain. Luckily, my bruises are fading and I can feel my broken arm twisting and shifting about until sliding right into place, rejoining the clean break a random teen caused. Even my eye General

Dintu stabbed ruthlessly is practically healed, just a little on the blurry side.

I sit up and face him, sitting criss-crossed on my cot. I glare at him narrowly.

"And just what makes you think I'd be interested in _anything_ you'd say-"

"Word is that Lord Mitchiru has attained a very unique ally. A dog-demon…" I stare at him blankly.

_And? There are probably **lots** of different akita-demons out there in feudal Japan. That doesn't mean it has anything to do with me… Does it?_

"-a _half_ dog-demon… Goes by the name of Inuyasha," he grins at me as if he's won the lottery, but I reveal nothing to him, despite my inner turmoil.

_Lord Mitchiru has Inuyasha? That can't be good because then he'll-_

I eye Higurd in the corner of my eye.

_Hang on a second, how did **he** receive critical information on the adversary's captives like that? Unless-_

I stand up until I'm at my full, dizzying height. I narrow my amber eyes at him and spit out. "How do you know this?"

Once again, he grins evilly at me and replies calmly as he, too, rises to his feet. His black, oily hair clings to his forehead and his eyes, ringed red from lack of sleep or illness, have a crazed look swimming inside them. I grunt, disgusted at his lack of personal hygiene, or self-respect to take better care of himself, or both.

"Why do you ask?" He questions me with a laugh of hysteria mixed in with each word: a very creepy combination. I raise my eyebrows and tilt my head up – showing dominance. I lean towards him as much as I dared, his putrid stench burning my sensitive nostrils.

"Oh, I don't know…" I drag out playfully, knowing I have the upper hand. "I just find it interesting you're working for both sides of the war, you dirty dog."

To confirm my suspicions, I watch as Higurd's once proud face pales and his eyes lose their vibrant and obnoxious glow. I smirk in his face.

"Please, refresh my memory: what will they do, here in Japan, to punish traitors? I bet you thought your loyalty could have been bought and didn't even worry about the swords of the law on the opposite of your greedy agreements with the generals under the table. Isn't that true? Oh, let me see…" I half-turn away from him, not trusting to leave my back open for attack. I cup my chin and pretend to be deep in thought. "Will they burn you, tie your limbs to ropes and have the horses run to each direction on the compass rose until you've been quartered? Maybe they'll dunk your head along with your sorry ass into a tub of boiling tar? I doubt they'll order a quick and easy death for you – oh no. I bet they'll plan something far more deserving…"

In a flash, his filthy hands grip the front of Inuyasha's haori and he screams in my face, "You wouldn't!"

I raise an eyebrow, and grin back at him, wearing a calm expression on my face.

"What did I tell you if you were to cross my path the wrong way again? Didn't I say I'd kill you on the spot?" I taunt.

A/n: O_o

Kagome? Will this be your first human kill? What will you do? Will you regret your decisions? – Any of them?

And will Inuyasha break free to rescue Kagome from this chaotic mess before things turn deadly?

;3

Till Next Time!


	11. Spilt Blood

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 11

~Spilt Blood~

Dislaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!

~~Kagome~~

Higurd stands in front of me, terrified. My ears can catch his unstable heartbeat as well as his hitched, labored breathing.

_I don't really want to kill him, but I think I'll leave that up to the law enforcers. If **I** kill him– it'll just look like a murder and General Dintu will surely have me executed, proving to be more trouble than it's worth._

His black eyes drift down my face, staring at my chest as his fierce grip loosens. I give him a firm shove and the action sends him sprawling onto my dirt floor. Clawed-hand still in mid-air, my authorities choose this time to enter my tent. As General Dintu drinks in the scene before him, I feel the color drain from my face as my blood runs cold.

_Greeeaaaat. Just great. Now he's gonna think I've been torturing him or something absurd, whatever his twisted knowledge suits him best. What are you gonna do?_

Playing the perfect victim, Higurd lays lifeless on my floor, making no effort to animate himself. I frown at his still body.

_Go ahead, Higurd, get me into some deep pit of trouble – but I've got some dirt on you!_

"Inuyasha…" A man's voice wavers over to my ears. I flick them once and face my superior with a somber expression.

"Yes?" I ask, not knowing what he may ask.

"Explain to me…" his soft gaze hardens as he lifts his eyes to look at me. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED HERE?"

I jump back with wide, golden eyes – unprepared for his sudden mood-swing.

"Ugh…" words stumble across my tongue and refuse to come out. I clear my throat and say. "Higurd was accusing me of-"

Again, the enraged general directs his rage towards me – the scapegoat. Suddenly, my quarters feels suffocating-ly small.

"HE WAS AN HONEST MAN," General Dintu looks away from me to gaze on our third party. In a hoarse whisper, he adds, "He'd never do such a thing…"

My eyes blink rapidly in surprise.

_Hold on a sec. "Was?"... He thinks he's dead…_

In an attempt to clear up the confusion, I step forward with raised palms and say, "He's very well alive, General. If you check his vitals…"

I reach down to press two fingers on his neck, but find a blade burying itself deep in the side of my hand. I jerk my hand back, the steel contact electrifying waves of pain rocketing up my arm. I look up to see Dintu holding a bloodied knife in a death grip, his knuckles white from the pressure. He glares at me with a crazed look in his eyes.

_Did he just cut me? What is his problem?_

"DON'T YOU _EVER,_" he spits in my face at the word, but I'm too afraid to wipe the small acid away. "_EVER _TOUCH ONE OF MY MEN AGAIN! YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YOU DIRTY HALF-BREED?"

I set my jaw. My eyes harden as I take a step back.

"Maybe…" I don't know what possessed me to say that one, seemingly-harmless word.

_Because that's exactly what Inuyasha would say._

"But then again, I _am_ just a _half-breed: _someone you keep saying doesn't even deserve a chance while you've got men stabbing you in the back-"

He comes at me with the knife in his hand and, even though I jump back, my claws have me caught in the tent's wall, the material twisted hopelessly around the sharp weapons. Like a fly trapped in the spider's web, I can struggle hopelessly but I can't escape. I whip my head away from my claws locked in the shredded cloth to see my superior advancing on me – quickly, and with a crazed look embedded in his once-kind eyes.

I cry out as I feel the knife slice down my arm, severing through the protective robe right to my skin, _through _my flesh. I grit my teeth and growl at him, whipping my arm so hard out of his reach in an attempt to free myself – I feel my muscles pull apart. Though Inuyasha's blood pumping in my body is rushing to heal its host, I can still feel the robe dampen as my blood drips to my fingertips before it dribbles on the dirt floor.

I see him coming in the corner of my eye and kick him in the stomach hard enough to send him flying across the tent to land next to Higurd – hopefully, buying me some time. As I lower my leg, a strange pulsing vibrates through my body. A light blue aura burns off me, but neither man notices. Not soon afterwards, a gut-wrenching pain brings me to my knees, my claws making quick work of the tricky tent as my weight drags me down.

_Wha-what is happening?_

I close my eyes and ride out the pain with my mouth open in a silent scream.

_This… This is just the pain I felt when I turned into Inuyasha-_

I gasp as Myoga's words fly back and hit me square in the face.

"_No guarantee as to how long your disguise shall remain hiding your true features, so there is a minor set back."_

If I could've rolled my eyes, I would've – but I'm a little preoccupied at the moment.

"Sh-shit!" I ground out, feeling my hair lighten as my muscles shorten. With one glance at my company, still unaware of my predicament, I know what I have to do.

_I have to get out of here! _ I think as my breasts painfully grow back. _I can't let them see me as anything __**but**__ Inuyasha!_

With this in mind, I dive under the straw cot covering the floor, retrieve the vial of Inuyasha's blood, and get the heck out if there!

I fly by the other tents in a red blur, the men standing leisurely outside of them left in my wake wonder what passed by. My strides, however, become irregular as I near the outskirts of camp – my leg muscles shrinking, no longer supplying the energy to carry me so fast. My left leg drags behind and catches on the ground, causing me to fall. I hit the dirt face first and roll onto my back, ripping the cork off the bottle.

The metallic hits my nose, but I can tell the vibrancy of the scent is fading – knowing my enhanced senses are rapidly leaving me. I waste no time and tip the bottle up to pour the red liquid into my waiting mouth. My other hand claws vigorously at the ground, the effects of his blood not affecting me as quickly as before.

My insides churn and twist in an agonizingly slow fashion. Safe with the knowledge I'm well out of the camp and out of ear-shot, I release a howl of pain that could easily rival a scream of bloody-murder – my vocal chords contracting into my human voice so that I do scream in pain.

_Why. Isn't. This. Working?_

I let another scream pass through my lips, now more full. The clothes become too large on me and I feel myself being swallowed by the sea of red fabric. Just as my extended canines begin to recede back into my gums, pushing everything back into place, I feel them slow and extend once more. My heart beats loudly and forcefully in my chest, but the quick absence of my breasts helps alleviates it from having the extra weight. My insides jumble around inside, much more quickly.

In fact, my entire body make-over _is_ faster.

I allow my eyes to open and be blinded by the bright sun, but I don't care at the moment. Right now, I have some things to brew over. I twist my head to look at my right and grasp the nearly empty bottle. I close my eyes and bring the vial to my face, inhaling the scent.

_It smells… dead… So that's it!_

I bolt up into a sitting position, staring at the bloodied bottle with a curious look on my face.

_Before, the blood was fresh, as fresh as it can get, and this…. _I hold the small bottle to the light_. But this blood was old…_

I stand, only minor aches plaguing my limbs. I notice how poor my clothes fit on me and readjust the pants; followed by rearranging the Robe of the Fire Rat. I notice the gash on my hand and a thought pops into my head.

_So even a minor – though scary – wound will cause me to change? _

I shiver at the thought, knowing if I was ever sent to the field, I'd have to be _extremely_ careful. I swipe at Inuyasha's robe, knowing it will reassemble itself to be whole once more, and use the severed fabric between my fingers to carefully wrap it around my hand.

Satisfied, I walk over to a large tree and sit leaned against the trunk in the inviting shade.

_But what about Inuyasha?_

My narrow face drops and I fold my arms in the sleeves. I bow my head, finding that supporting it was too much of a strain.

_Gods, Inuyasha. _ I laugh a little on the inside. _I save your butt from one troubled mess and now you've got yourself muddled into another one._

A/n: Hey guys!

I want to thank SilverBell11 for helping me perfect this chappie!

Check out her story, _Divine Symphony,_ if you're a Black Butler (or Kuroshitsuji) fan!

GO GRELL!

;3

Till Next Time!

….

Which might be for some time, cause I've been neglecting my Hunger Game/Inuyasha story to write this one – so I'm going back to that one for a little while…


	12. Adversity

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 12

~Adversity~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Inuyasha~~

I fight the restrictive chains bound to my wrists, but I know my attempts are all in vain. I hang my heavy head against my chest; my hair – blinding white in the sun – falls to cover my eyes. The strands _not_ matted to my forehead in sweat tickle my nose, but I don't have the energy to flick the annoying pieces away. As I sigh, they dance across my face.

_I can't get out. Dammit! No matter how hard I try, I can't escape my bonds._

I glance at my shackled-wrists and bare my fangs – irritated to hell. My gaze lowers to my nearly-closed wound. From my desperate thrashings, my shirt has opened enough to see the skin beneath. With sunlight pouring in from the far window, I see the wound is nearly gone; only a scab remains, though I'm sure it will develop into a scar.

_Feh. The poison must be retarding my healing abilities. Otherwise I'd of been out of this joint long ago…_

"Inuyasha?" Shippo's innocent voice floats across the hot room. The stones work against us now as the heat ricochets off the walls, all of the sickening warmth pooling in our utterly _infernal_ prison; I bet Hell is cooler.

I look up and see concern in the kitsune's eyes. I offer a small smile and straighten.

"What is it, Pup?" I ask earnestly, not at all like my usual questioning tone. Hell, he's probably as scared as me if not more so about Kagome's safety. With me not being able to escape as easily as I have in the past…

"What are you gonna do?"

Again, I flash him a smile – this one overflowing with cockiness – and say, "Don't worry, Shippo. My wound is almost healed. As soon as it is, I swear I'll bust us out of here – then we head off to Kagome and-"

The metal door drags across the floor, causing both Shippo's and my ears to ache from the screech. I see him curl into as much of a ball as he can. I, however, sit straight, tall and defiant. In strolls a man decorated in multiple layers of vibrantly colored clothing. Why he'd still want to flash his status in this heat is beyond me, but the sweat on his brow is of no surprise to me.

His brown eyes dart around the room until they land on mine. He locks our gaze even as he crosses the room. He doesn't stop until he's right in front of me, just out of reach.

_Coward._

"You," He gasps out. "The half-demon?"

I snap my head back to rid my face of the irritating hair and say smartly, "Well, anyone with eyes can tell I ain't human!"

I twitch my ears while my claws dance on the metal wrapped around my wrists. My black eyebrows rise with a cock of my head as I wait for his reply.

"You're _him, _no? _The_ Inuyasha?"

I roll my eyes, easily getting bored of the conversation.

"Ch'ya!" I bite out.

To my surprise, instead of lashing out like so many ill-tempered humans before him, this strange man standing before me smiles. To even further my shock, he bows deeply.

"Oh Son the Great Dog Demon," he cries, upper body still locked in the deep bow. "I, Lord Mitchiru, am very pleased to have you in our company-"

"So what?" I scoff. "So you can turn me into a dog of the military? I don't think so buddy."

He rises to his full height, just three feet above my head. Lord Mitchiru stares at me with a cold glare and mumbles, "Oh? Is that so…."

He turns away from me and walks towards the door. Over his shoulder, he calls to me, "I had really hoped to avoid this, but," he sighs. "It seems as if I have no choice."

Without another moment's hesitation, he and his multiple folds leave – firmly closing the rusty door behind him. After the ringing stops, Shippo and I look at each other in confusion.

"What the he-" I start.

"I don't even know, Inuyasha…"

-~*KT*~-

~~Shippo~~

For what seems like hours, Inuyasha and I sit on the stone floor as it scorches the flesh on our legs. One time, a human servant even came by to give us our food. She unshackled us, but threatened to throw ofudas at us if we so much as looked at her.

So we didn't. I thanked her and ate.

Inuyasha, well…

Let's just say he had to be _paralyzed_ multiple times – all because he couldn't keep his big mouth closed for once.

But then the meal was over and we were shackled once again. The sun was no longer invading our small den, but bombarding the castle head-on. It was around then that _they _came.

In dark cloaks, three men with incense sticks enter our room. The odor is so strong, I feel nauseous. With one glance, I know my companion is faring no better.

"Inuyasha?" I moan, my eyes drooping to a close. "Wha-what's happening?"

My eyes close for half a second - I swear it's only for a second – but when I open them, Inuyasha is gone.

I shake my head groggily, the incense doing weird things to my head. I sniff around, but notice that the strong odor is now only a whisp of the scent… and so is Inuyasha's.

"Inu…yasha?" I ask, my sleepiness evident in my speech. "Where's are youz…?"

-~*KT*~-

~~Inuyasha~~

I'm thrust against a wall and no one stops my fall to the dark ground. I hit the dust floor with a thud and groan, my hands being tied behind my back giving no latitude what so ever to pick myself up. My ankles are tied as well, but I manage to wiggle around until I'm in a sitting position. I shake my head groggily, the incense is still so strong – it's even in my hair, dammit!

_That'll make sure I'm drugged up for a while…_

I blink a few times and look around. All around me, there are tools of human torture. Chains snake their way down the walls like vines. Hot fire pokers bake in the far corner in a small oven, the only light source in the cell-like entrapment. A table near me is overflowing with herbs, but one whiff in that direction tells me they're all poisonous.

I scoff at my predicament.

_So these humans are planning to torture me, is it? Well, I don't take mistreatment lightly-_

At that moment, a stumpy old man in his seventies walks into the small room. The heat emanating off the oven in the corner becomes uncomfortable and I start to sweat. The man, however, is dressed in many layers; he's even wearing a coat with heavy brown sleeves! Soon, I notice, my sweat is causing my bandages to become soggy and fall apart, leaving my wounds exposed.

"I see you're wounded-" the old geezer with a hunched back pauses to inhale a shaky breath. "-Pretty badly. Unfortunately, my services were not paid to heal you, as my usual services are to be the medicine man, but you needn't know of any of that. Just know I take no pleasure in my work here."

Surprisingly, he moves swiftly across the dirt floor to the table. I blink.

_No, he couldn't have moved that smoothly – he's too damn old for that! Where's his cane? It must be the drugs I'm under or something…_

I watch him slip his thick coat off his shoulders to show off his well-built body. I look at him wearily through narrowed eyes.

_Old men are not supposed to be fit… who is this guy?_

He whips around and pounces, landing just before me. At that instant, I catch the crazed look in his eyes. His large arms swing down, then, and some grains like sand fly out of his hands to bombard me. It shoots up my nose, in my eyes, inside my ears, down my throat – everywhere the small grains touch, it leaves the skin aflame. All the benefits of having demonic senses are immediately cast aside – nothing could help me here. I cough deeply, the grain having made its way to my lungs. I try to open my eyes, but they've blurred up trying to get the alien substance out – I can't see anything except extremely blurred objects.

_What the hell is going on!_

The next thing I feel is a sharp pain in my side. I try to thrash around to get away, but my body is too busy ridding itself of the invading substances to let me move. The sharp object makes its way over to my previous wound that was just scabbing.

And when the two collided…

I howl in pain, yell in agony, cry out in fury, and shout in desperation. This new pain is nothing like I've felt before, even on my worst of battles. Even Sesshomaru's poisonous claws would feel like a hug compared to this. The drugs do nothing to alleviate my pain as I feel the scabbed pieces break off; fresh blood pumps out of the cut, oozing down my skin.

Eventually, the extra weight I didn't realize had been added on my stomach disappears and I'm allowed to breathe. I greedily take in lungfuls of the stale air of the dank cell, it being sooo much better than those weird grains. I open my eyes to see the same old man tower above me.

_When the hell did he get so tall? Before, I was sure he had a hunched back, but this guy could be my height if I could stand. Usually, the village men can only come up to my shoulders…._

Instead of that crazed look from earlier, I see sorrow deep in his eyes.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," I can hear him mutter as he edges closer to me. I see him holding tightly to something in each hand and discover a bloodied scalpel and a pinch of the vile herbs I saw on the table. "Gomen… Gomenesai…"

With each plea for forgiveness, the strange man edges closer and closer to me.

A/n: Yes, Yes, I _know_ it's been a long time-no read, but I've been working on a new songfic series. (this thing was supposed to be ONE chapter long – a onefic – but I'm working on number THREE now. GAARH!)

And some fans are asking about my hunger games (check it out! I know some f you are die-hard fans – And I can't tell you how much it means to me when I see the same names pop up in reviews and fav's)

You guys have been an amazing source for support for a story! I never imagined for it to go this far!

Love you all!

;3

Till Next Time!

Oh! Here's the main reason I haven't been posting: I got to go to the States and stay in Chicago for a few days! IT. WAS. AMAZING!

XDDD


	13. Nasty Truths

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 13

~Nasty Truths~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Shippo~~

The nice lady comes back and talks to me. Her voice is soft, kind, and reassuring – but nothing like Kagome's, I noticed. She had, when she first walked in, released my wrists and let me sit on the ground unshackled. It was a nice break.

"So why are you here?" I ask her. She shakes her head, hands wringing themselves in her lap.

"I know not completely, but I stay because Lord Mitchiru orders me, as well as the other servants. I wish this war wasn't to be…"

"Why did it start?" I hopefully probe for answers.

Sadly, she shakes her head. She looks away and adds in a low voice, "I know not…"

At that instant, there's a sharp rapping at the door. She gasps and her head snaps up to lock me in her gaze. Her hands fly to lock my wrists up in the shackles again.

_Darn, this sucks. It sucks she can't tell me why the dumb human war stated either._

She finishes restraining me, never daring to look me in the eye. Probably because she's afraid to see the sadness in a child's eyes and she's unsure if she'll be able to restrain herself from releasing this child. But before I can get her to look at me, she turns on her heels and leaves quickly. The door closes and I'm once again left alone in the empty stone room.

I hang my head and breathe heavily. The sound of my breathing and the chains rattling against the pale wall echo off the walls serve to be my only source of entertainment.

_Where are you Inuyasha? They took you **hours** ago-_

The heavy door swings open again and the same cloaked men as before drag a bloodied body in my cell. So bloody, I can't smell anything past the thick wall of iron and give up trying to scent the newcomer out. At first, I think it's a new person, a new prisoner of war-

But I was soooo wrong.

The figure growls defiantly at his captors, refusing to be carted around like an animal. His light hair is matted with blood and the remains of his clothing are shredded beyond repair. One of the men huffs, "Damn this bastard! Why aren't the ofudas the old man put on here working?"

One of the other men mutters a few choice curse words and replies curtly, "Because he's a bloody full-youki with traces of human blood, you brain-less idiot! We knew aggravating him this badly would make the religious charms worthless – he being too strong at this point."

They all thrust the mysterious figure against the wall and I hear a sickening _crack_.

The figure lies still.

_WHHHAAAAAaaa? _I think as my eyes widen in horror at the scene before me.

The men waste no time and chain his arms, legs, and even connect two to fit like a collar around his neck. I haven't gotten to see this man's face, though, and peer around one of the big burly men to see him.

I end up getting knocked upside the head.

"OWW!" I cry, wishing I could rub the bump forming on my head. "You big _meanie!"_

The figure jumps, but all five (six if you include the two around his neck) shackles restrain him closely to the ground. He snarls unmercifully at the man who hit me in particular. From where I'm sitting, I can see up the man's hood to his paled face.

"Shit!" the man mutters and motions for all the darkly clothed men to follow suit as he bolts out the door. The door slams with a hurried tug, and only the stranger's snarls reverberate off the walls. I eye my new companion cautiously.

He jerks on all of his restraints wildly, only succeeding in rubbing his skin raw and drawing more blood. I notice that, as we sat there, his crimson pants were re-growing, re-stitching itself into longer pants than the rags he came in with. The ears on top of his head swivel wildly. His long fangs protrude from his mouth and glisten in the evening light, the sheer sharpness of those natural weapons causing me to cringe.

I see his claws, sharp to such an extent, shred the air as he vainly tries to free himself.

I lower my head.

_I kinda feel sorry for the guy… he probably doesn't have a reason to me here as much as I do._

I let out a sigh as I remember how rudely I had been brought here, and the figure stops fighting, becoming still.

As if noticing for the first time that he's not the only one in the small cell, his eyes snap towards me. I jump, whimpering at the color of his eyes, his blood-red eyes with remarkingly familiar blue irises.

_Sorry for him or not, he's still scary!_

His breathing calms for a moment as his chest heaves air in and out of his lungs. My companion knits his eyebrows in confusion as he stares at me, as if trying to remember something.

That's when it all clicks.

"I-I-Inuyasha?" I ask in a small voice.

His eyes harden and his thrashings resume with more vigor. I wince as his arms swing so high only to crash into the stone, leaving cracks as jagged as the purple tribal markings on his face in his wake. His gut-wrenching howls make me want to crawl in a hole and hide forever, but I'm staked to the point and can't move. Instead, I close my eyes to shield me from the image of my friend.

_I know you're in there somewhere Inuyasha, but Kagome can't save you this time…_

His howls and shouts and screams grow the longer he's kept in the same room as me. I try talking to him some more, but I only get nasty snarls and death-glares in return. So I sit and wait…

And wait…

But nothing helps, nothing calms him down. My ears are ringing from the constant noise bouncing off the walls. The scent of blood is so strong, I'm surprised I haven't gotten sick yet.

I open my eyes groggily and glance at Inuyasha.

_Inuyasha… what have they done to you?_

-~*KT*~-

~~Kagome~~

I feel awkward stuffed inside such a small space. Before, I had no problem with being in snug, comfortable places. Now, however, with Inuyasha's blood as well as his new instincts – I find being in this 'carriage' very unsettling.

And nerve-racking!

The cloth meant to serve as a cushion only clumps together underneath my rear uncomfortably, lumping in places it _shouldn't_. The heat sticks to me and my clothes as it has no way to escape. The only air floats in from the window or from the sole man sitting across from me, our knees past each other because of the small space.

_How did I end up in this mess?_

I let my gaze slip from the cut-out window and see General Dintu smiling happily at me. He's dressed in all his military finery, his hair is tied back in a more fashionable style and his fish-scale armor is polished to its finest. I smirk at him, returning my gaze to peer out the make-shift window.

To our sides and behind us for miles, the Army of Kabashi walks behind this carriage that is carried by the strongest of the men. I sigh, trying to remember just how I had found myself in this predicament.

**FLASHBACK**

I bury my head in my knees, still trying to figure out what to do about Inuyasha.

_He's probably grumbling to himself off in the woods, that Inuyasha. I just hope he hasn't irritated his wounds again. I know he can't take care of himself, but still- I worry about that man-_

A hand lands on my shoulder and I jump, looking up to see none other than General Dintu. He's sweating very badly, and his breath comes in short pants as he tries in vain to get oxygen into his lungs.

I shoot up and back away before he could stab me with his knife again.

_And for leaving camp, who knows what he has in store for me?_

I narrow my eyes at him and turn to leave.

"Wait!" he calls after me. "Please! Let me speak with you!"

I stop in my tracks, more shocked than anything.

_Does he **really** want to talk to me, or is this a trap?_

Expecting the latter, I turn around and cross my arms over my flat chest. I look at him with disbelieving eyes. Silently, I urge him to continue.

He licks his chapped lips and his eyes dart around wildly, as if he didn't know where to start. His hand idly rubs his chin as the general begins to pace on the side of the road.

"You… were right, Inuyasha. Higurd _is_ alive and he confessed that he was 'stabbing me in the back,' as you said before," he cringes, as if repeating the words of a half-demon were bitter on his tongue. "And I have you ask you something."

He stops pacing and looks at me head on; we meet each other's gaze on equal levels. I abruptly nod my head.

"If you want to rejoin Lord Kabashi's forces, we need you to defeat an enemy. Do this, and we win the war."

I stare at him, _daring_ him to lie to me. When he doesn't show any signs that he's kidding, I gawk at him.

_One little enemy? That's it? Then the wars over and I can go home? I can be out of this stupid war?_

I shift the light in my eyes and look down on my 'superior.'

"And if I refuse? What if I don't want to go back into the army after what you did to me in my own tent?"

He narrows his own eyes and says coldly, "than you're nothing but the pride-less, dirty half-breed everyone thinks ye to be."

For long moments, we stare each other down.

Finally, I nod my head once.

Since then, General Dintu's attitude towards me has been completely different, completely amiable… completely creepy.

He made _sure_ that I was given a seat in the feudal transportation generally meant for high officials.

_Oh, the dirty looks from his underlings…_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"How long until we arrive at this Lord Mitchiru's estate?" I ask, completely bored.

My ears swivel to catch the indrawn breath of my superior. General Dintu says, "Soon, Inuyasha… and then the war will be over."

_And the real Inuyasha and I can go back to our normal lives… right?_

A/n: Can you guys put two and two together and tell me what's gonna happen next?

No, this isn't a trick to get more inspiration (though that might happen) but I know what's gonna happen next!

Did you guys like this chapter? I made it long enough, but question is – is it _good_ enough?

;3

Till Next Time!


	14. The Final Battle?

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 14

~The Final Battle?~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

~~Kagome~~

We arrive at the mansion by the end of the day. The castle grounds are eerily silent. Our leader Dintu-Sinku orders the rest of the men to go one direction while he escorts me inside.

"Remember, Inuyasha," he whispers to me, his large hand firmly pressed in the small of my back. "Win this little fight and the war will be over. Beat this small-fry youki and you can go home."

_Home… _I think hopefully to myself. _With Inuyasha…_

I nod to my superior and allow him to push me down poorly-lit hallways. We take twists and turns down deeper into the earth. Soon, I can hear an odd chanting. The farther we descend, the louder the mass of voices become. My hand briefly touches the earthen wall and I jerk it back, the trembles catches me off guard.

_How many people are here? They just want me to kill one small-fry, right? Unless… they're making a show of this! _

I growl in frustration, the rumble ricocheting inside my chest. That hand on my back pushes a little harder.

_Oh, the nerve of these people! Putting me up for show just to get some entertainment out of someone's grief – or death, in this case. _

We come across a dead end. I eye the peculiar walls as water trickles down the soft rock on all sides. One peek behind my shoulder and I can tell General Dintu is nervous, his unseeing eyes jerking side to side for any light in our abyss.

_Why is he acting so nervous? IS he afraid I'll turn and kill him here? No, he would have brought more men with him to accompany us then… why does he keep looking at the ground? And the walls for that matter?_

I face the dead-end a foot away from me and before I can find the source of his uneasiness, my companion tugs feverishly at the back of my top. I lower my head to hear, "-emember, defeat him, Inuyasha. That's all I require of you. Good luck…"

I turn my head to look over my shoulder, 'fore his voice seemed to fade as he uttered his farewell.

I turn around completely and find my superior gone completely. I scratch my head with the tip of my claws.

_Where'd he go?_

At that instant, the wall in front of me comes crashing down, millimeters away from chopping off my nose.

"Gaaaahhhh…" I tensely breathe out, backing away from the wall. In moments, I'm left with the conclusion that I'm left in a small sealed room with no light, no air flow.

I'm _this_ close from losing my composure, but an instinct deep inside me tells me not to fret, that there is no harm to me here. I'm intrigued by this eerie calmness that washes over me and find my priestess powers to be smothered by Inuyasha's youki. I gasp in the dark, regretting it as the dank air as it invades my mouth - it's like I'm licking the unnatural walls. I cringe.

_Blah! That's nasty! … _

I squeeze my eyes shut and gag, wishing then and there I did _not_ have the half-demon's enhanced sense of taste. I rub my dog-like tongue roughly against the roof of my mouth to rid the horrid taste. As it fades, I focus at the task at hand.

_My miko powers seem to be so much weaker with Inuyasha's blood in me – could it be because the two auras cannot coincide in one body? I've never heard of a demon priestess before, so…._

I find myself bathing in bright, yellow light as the wall behind me, the once dead-end, rises; the scent of man flowing in from the opening. The impact of the voices swimming massively together in the thick air nearly sends me to my knees. I cringe, but force myself to turn around to face the source of the light. I raise a clawed hand to block out the light my eyes were not used to in the dim hallways. Cautiously, I edge my way out of the darkness.

The voices all together are insignificant, just a jumble of shouts and yells at this point. As my eyes adjust to the light, I notice I'm in something like an arena. I feel like I'm trapped in the bottom of a canyon, the smooth walls reaching too high for me to hop out of this man-made water-less ravine. Torches burn brightly every six feet high above my head, illuminating the arena. The ground is hard-packed with pockets of white sand here and there. I hear the sound of rattling chains and whip around in time to see a barred gate slam into the ground where I first came in. All around me, there are various gates of all sizes; some bars are plain and smooth, like mine, while others are spiked dangerously.

I crane my neck up to see men in armor leaning over the edge to peer down at me, whooping and hollering when they do. They fist-punch the air and pound their army's flag pole into the ground rhythmically. I roll my eyes.

_Men…_

I start when I hear the heavy gate on my extreme left rise. I raise my claws and get myself ready for the attack. I frown.

_Well, Kagome, this is where all your sacrifices are noticed, they all add up to something. Let's get this over with!_

When nothing comes out, I growl in frustration. My ears are busy on the top of my silver head trying to catch _any _sounds of something approaching me. I crack my knuckles in anticipation, eager to wreck bloodshed just to get this whole ordeal over with.

I hear a man at the end of the dark hallway walk towards the light. I hear him dragging something, something wild as it snarls and sounds like it's wrestling on the grainy floor.

_Finally! It's about time-_

The man screams and blood splatters out the gate and onto the hard ground. I take a step back, wanting as much prep time in the light that I have with this _thing._

-~*KT*~-

~~Shippo~~

I look in horror as a clean Inuyasha stumbles out the gate and into the arena. He looks around confused while absorbing everything he sees, but it won't be enough.

_Kagome…_

The nice lady from earlier let me out of the cell, but still had me tied up, saying it was the only way I could be on the outside. I sit next to her in the stands as I tug hopelessly on my restraints, the rope squeezing and squeezing on my wrists until they become cold with lack of blood flow. I stop and sigh, disappointed in myself, a youki.

I hear Kagome's gate close and the ruthless men around me cheer, ready for the show. I silently glare at all their backs, hating the humans.

With one last glance at the sole female next to me, I bolt. I dash between legs and squirm under benches – whatever it takes to make it to the wall.

_Whatever it takes to give Kagome the best chance of surviving this!_

I feel the panic set in, sweat matting down the hairs on my neck that would otherwise rise in my predicament. I feel a cold fear inside my tiny body as the other gate opens. I hop up on the wall and see Kagome get in a fighting position. At that moment, I see the blood that squirts from the depths of the hallway and decide it's now or never.

"Kago-" I catch myself before giving away her true identity. I find her golden eyes fixed on me, confusion deeply marring her features. Even from the distance between us, I can see her lips for my name in a silent question.

"Inuyasha!" I yell to cover up my mistake. "You have to get out of there! Now! Before-"

"Hey!" A gruff voice comes from behind. I feel a random hand grab me by my tail. As I'm hoisted in the air, I give one final plea to one of them.

"INUYASHA!"

-~*KT*~-

~~Kagome~~

I growl possessively at the human who dared treat my pup like that. What was Shippo doing here anyway? _Tied_ up too?

_Wait until those humans see my wrath for what they've done, just wait-_

At that second, I hear another growl boom from the dark hallway. It seems eerily familiar…

And then I see his eyes.

Red eyes _burning_ with cold blue irises; all of it set on me, a target.

I nearly fall flat from the shock of it all.

"I-Inuyasha?" I ask, my voice coming out to be like a whimper. I let my guard down and let my hands fall to my sides, the desire in me to fight – dead and gone.

I hear scuffling in the dirt, the eyes bobbing up and down though they never leave me. As the eyes neared, a thick, metallic scent shoots up my nose. I rapidly blink back the tears the scent of blood caused me.

As my vision clears, I see him.

Inuyasha.

_**This** is who I'm supposed to fight? I can't fight Inuyasha. Sure, I got him flat on the forest floor, but his demon side? This side won't stop until I'm dead!_

I want to cry at the sight of his body: bloodied and bruised. White shirt probably long gone - only his crimson pants remain as his only source of clothing. The skin that is exposed is cut up with weird yellow dots in the wounds. But his stomach… the wound I wrapped myself just days ago is gaping and pumping out blood.

"Inuyasha…" Tears stream down my face, I can't help it.

_Inuyasha, what happened? Why is Shippo here? How did **you** end up here? Why are you so injured?_

_Inuyasha, what happened!_

His snarls snap me out of my revere. I jump back, unsure of his demon side. I watch as he cocks his head to the side; his bloody knuckles crack, splattering more blood on the ground. The look in his eyes…

From the safety of high above, I hear the men cheer. They cheer for bloodshed. They cheer for pain.

They cheer for death.

A/n: Yep, it's a cliffhanger! I can't give you the climax all in one go- can I?

No. I can't.

I would really like to hear your guys' questions/ if you guys are intrigued by something and would like to talk to me about it – I'll clear it up for you!

;3

Till Next Time!


	15. I Don't Wanna

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 15

~I Don't Wanna~

I now have a Kagome's Twist (as wells as Hunger Games: Inuyasha Style) music playlist. Here are the songs _so far:_

**Faster by Within Temptation** (LOVE her!)

**Growing Pains by La Roux** (she did _Bulletproof._ I keep thinking of Kagome's transformations when I listen to the chorus…)

**Our Farewell by Within Temptation** (this is when Kagome had to leave the hut as Inuyasha that first morning and she honestly didn't really know if she was going to see him again or not)

**Right Here, Right Now** by Fatboy Slim (for all the fight scenes!)

**I Don't Wanna by Within Temptation**

**Shot in the Dark by Within Temptation**

**Where Is the Edge by (again) Within Temptation**

If you guys can think of any songs for this fanfic series– I'm up for any suggestions!

;3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

-~*KT*~-

~~Shippo~~

The man that had grabbed me by the tail was about to throw me in the arena as well, but Jintae, the nice lady, comes rushing by to my rescue. She apologizes to the man for some reason, saying she didn't mean to let me out of her sights. The man nods and drops me none-too-kindly onto the stone bench.

"WHAA-" I land on the cold stone with a sharp _thunk_ and barely manage to get into an upright position when _they _came.

The large man that visited Inuyasha and me in the depressing cell steps up to the open balcony on the far side of the underground arena. Right behind him is a strong-looking man in a warrior's uniform, his unnaturally blue eyes burning. Both walk to the edge and Lord Mitchiru grips the stone railing tightly. Both sets of eyes rake over the armored men in the stands. Strangely, ever since the two had appeared on the stand – the vast room has stilled and is silent – excluding the real Inuyasha's constant growls.

I raise an eyebrow.

_I think something big is about to happen… but who's that other guys standing next to a lord?_

"I am Lord Mitchiru," the said lord begins, raising his many-robed arms high above his head, welcoming the cheer from my side of the stands.

"And I – Lord Kabashi-" the second man is interrupted by an outcry among the soldiers on both sides. Some are angry, some shocked. I glance at Kagome and she, too, is surprised. This Lord Kabashi closes his eyes and smiles softly, as if to himself.

"Aye, comrades," he snaps his eyes open and slams his fist to the stone railing. It cracks under the force and the sound resonates throughout the room. "I disguised myself to be your war general, Dintu Shintu, and performed all the tasks that are tied to that title. Why, you might ask? Because I wanted to _personally choose_ the _right_ men who would be in the Kabashi Army, men I knew could win the war for the Kabashi name. And I _know,_ this man-" he thrashes his arm over the railing to point at Kagome, who is still in shock. "-will do just that."

The men on the other side of the arena stands leap up and cheer. However, my side shouts in rage and rebukes, one man rushes to the front and yells, "_You_ bein' their general ain't right! It's not fair!"

_All's far in the game of war…._

I smile to myself as I dive under the bench, the men becoming too rowdy for my safety. As a sickle falls to the ground and ignites small sparks near my head, I think to myself, _and fox magic is __**completely**__ fair._

While Jintae is distracted by the chaos, I manage to snag one of my kistune leaves from my pocket. I close my eyes and concentrate.

_I have to do this just right, or else it won't work at all. _

I whisper the spell under my breath and – _pop!_- there's an exact copy of me sitting right next to the woman – looking aimlessly as if watching the crowd.

_Yes! Now, if only I can get these ropes off my wrists-_

The men on my side now swing their blades in the air: swords, katanas, daggers, maces.

I smile to myself, still hiding under the bench.

_That shouldn't be **too** hard…_

_-~*KT*~-_

_~~Kagome~~_

_So General Dintu was a lord – __**the Lord Kabashi**_** – **_the entire time? But… it makes sense; that way, he'd know his men personally. Where do I come into all of this? Why single me out?_

I stand in the middle of the empty bowl-like arena, my breathing shallow and raspy with this new information. I feel a tingling on the back of my neck. I keep one ear locked behind me as I risk looking away from the bloody Inuyasha. He growls louder, but doesn't advance.

My golden eyes snap up when Lord Mitchiru coughs suddenly, drawing everyone's attention back to him. He gives the pseudo-general sideways glance, obviously not pleased that the armies before them were reacting more to his rival'swords than his own.

In a deep, bellowing voice, he says, "Which brings me back to say just why we have gathered you here on this lovely and jocund day. It seems as though we have the honor of having The Dog-General's son, Inuyasha, in our presence. However, one army has an impostor, the shape-shifter."

"That army is shameful, despicable," what I thought was my general continues right on cue. "and when this test proves just who this wrongful army is – the war is over. Whoever has been deceiving the other side shall have _all_ his land taken away from under his feet. The lord shall be stripped of his title and statues – his wealth delivered to the victorious lord."

I take a step back, earning a snarl.

_That punishment seems a little harsh-_

"The test!" Lord Mitchiru exclaims. He suddenly looks down at me with distaste in his eyes. "The test is to see which Inuyasha survives, for surely no one can surpass the real thing, no?"

A look of horror befalls over my face. The two men in the balcony, continuing to talk to their side of the army to raise their spirits, ignore me as I silently wish for an alternative.

_I… I can't do this… And the command won't work like before because **I** have his blood too. _

The heavy scent of blood washes over me and my head pounds painfully. I double over and cradle my head between my clawed-hands. With each beat of my heart, another wave of pain pulsates in my head. I grip my hair tightly in hopes of alleviating some of the pain. My ears twitch on the top of my head and Inuyasha's breathing becomes so loud – beating against my ear drum until I fall to my knees. My knees hit the soft sand and I sit there, waiting for this new pain to end.

But it doesn't.

_Kill him._

I blink.

_Huh?_

The voice inside my mind says, _He's just like you. He smells like you, looks like you. There can't be two in this world – kill him. Nature can't handle this. Kill him! _

I shake my head and screw my eyes shut.

"No…" I whimper out.

_KILL HIM!_

"NO!"

At that moment, a large, brass gong is rung on the lip from high up above and Inuyasha howls; the men surrounding the arena shouting at the start of an entertaining show. I hear the quick footsteps of someone running and I snap my eyes open just in time to see him running my way; his eyes blazing with his bloodied hands outstretched towards me. For half a second, I just stay on the ground in shock. But as he nears, my senses return and I roll to my right at the last second, the sand proving to be a sufficient cushion as his hand claws at thin air. I roll two more times to put some distance between us and I stand.

_There has to be another way out of this mess besides fighting and killing him…_

He whirls around on the spot, the white sand flying everywhere, and locks his deadly gaze at me. A snarl of disgust escapes his lips as he bares his fangs at me. Surprisingly, I find myself doing the same, my arms poised at my sides ready for battle. I spread my feet apart and we equally stare each other down. I watch him carefully: his wild hair, his bruised and mangled body, his strong arms, and finally I study his hands, covered in blood. I stand, as if in a trance at the sight.

He cracks his knuckles and more blood drips, staining the sand.

I gasp.

_That's it… it has to be!_

Inuyasha takes this moment to charge at me, but I make no notion to move or get out of the way. Above, the crowd silences. I take a deep breath, the distance between me and death quickly closing.

"Sit boy!" I shout, immediately feeling the effects of the command. An invisible hand wraps around my throat and forcefully slams me into the ground face first. My whole body shakes as I turn my head to the side to find an angry Inuyasha in the same position, the Beads of Subjection glowing slightly from the command.

Not having to experience the entire s-i-t as Inuyasha does, I work against the spell and sit up. I look at the snarling half-demon with sad eyes, not knowing what will happen after I make my choice.

"Inuyasha?" I whisper, knowing his acute ears will catch what our audience will not. His red eyes snap towards my face, confusion written on his face. I place my left hand lightly on my right arm, the claws barely touching the skin. From somewhere above, I hear someone call my name, my _real_ name, but I can't turn back – not now. "I love you."

With that, I rake my borrowed weapons down my arm, letting his blood flow out of me. It hurts, not even the demon blood can numb this pain. But I gladly take it.

My last thoughts before falling over: _Maybe he'll recognize me.._

Through the dim haze that's veiled over my eyes, I see him shake his head vigorously from side to side.

_Or maybe not…_

A/n: YES! ANOTHER EVIL CLIFFIE!

;3

BWAHAHAHAHA!

*sigh*

Sorry for not updating as of late, but I've had color guard this past week and I'll have band camp this week…. I am _not_ looking forward to it. But…. It's a grade, so I have to stick with it.

Maybe I'll grow to like it…

Well, see ya!


	16. Plain Bad Luck

Kagome's Twist

~Plain Bad Luck~

The number one song I listened to for this chapter was _A Demon's Fate by Within Temptation._

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

-~*KT*~-

~~Shippou~~

"KAGOME!" I shout, tears in my eyes. I let out a small whimper as she injures herself by cutting her own arm. Hastily, I wipe away the unwanted tears and- without a moment to lose- hop over the wall. I close my eyes as I fall and whisper the sacred spell in my heart, transforming into my floating orb form.

_Kagome… I was trying to tell you to **not** do that… I heard some of the men say something terrible about the men who enter the pit. They said that this whole arena is actually the mouth of man-eating demon! It doesn't eat demons because it **can't** posses any youki- so mikos like you or any other human wouldn't be able to sense it. _

If I had a chest, I'd puff it out in a prideful manner right now.

_And it's up to me to protect you, Kagome. Don't you worry!_

"WAAA!" I cry just as a wave of spears comes crashing down from above. The sharp weapons of man miss my large form by inches – I'm grateful that this army of human farmers has been trained pitifully and poorly. I suck in a sharp breath of dry air and –Pop!- I'm back to my old, kistune self. I slide down against the wall and land in the soft sand.

I look up just in time to see Inuyasha walking towards the Kagome, her body moving in grotesque ways.

"Inuyasha!" I call out to him, hoping to draw his attention away from Kagome.

It doesn't work.

He lets out a vicious roar, my own heart rumbling in my ribcage, and I watch in horror as he raises his powerful arm, claws glistening in the fire-light.

"NO!" I call out, running across the sand, but find myself being slowed down by it. The more I try to run, the deeper my paws sink into the sand.

_I can't do anything, _the frantic thought crosses my mind. _I can't stop it._

Inuyasha swipes his arm down and hits Kagome with such a force, she flies in the air.

I watch as her frail body is flung towards the stone wall and I find my purpose in this war.

"TRANSFORM!" I shout, not bothering to slow down. I jump into the air and become the big, pink, orb I _know_ will save Kagome. Sure enough, not half a second after I transform, I feel her crash into me, sending the both of us to the ground. I grimace and brace for impact.

We hit the ground and bounce backwards until we hit the cold, unforgiving wall of the arena. I roll on my side slowly, her blood coating me, until Kagome is gently laid onto the ground. I quickly revert back to my old self and put my whole hand on her neck, checking for a pulse.

_If only I knew **just where** to look- Like Kagome-chan does when we help the injured._

She moans painfully and then the unconscious miko lies still on the sand, save her bones snapping while her muscles dance underneath her skin. Her silver fair darkens to her familiar midnight hue of black, a stark contrast to the white sand. Her skin pales, whether that was her original skin color or from blood loss – I don't know.

From high above me, I hear the lords and warriors cheer for their victory – but I know our battle is far from over.

"…-so sad it was a girl…" One voice says.

"…-deserves this fate and that of the Doriamuki, the man-eating…" Another speaks. More voices waver down to the bottom of the arena, but I ignore most of them.

I close my eyes and send a quick prayer to Kami, to heal Kagome and bring Inuyasha back to us-

Behind me, I hear a deep growl and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my eyes snapping open.

_NOT LIKE THAT!_

I turn around to find him standing a mere ten feet away from us. I do the one thing I normally do in any situation like this-

I panic.

"WHAAAA!" I cry, sending wave after wave of my fox-fire at the half-demon. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but it's no use! I have to do this for Kagome's sake!"

Inuyasha snarls at me while covering his face, my target, and staggers back. His bare feet catch in the sand and he falls backwards. For that small moment, I blink and stop my attacks, waiting for whatever was to happen next.

"Shippo?" I hear a weird voice croak behind me, followed by a throaty cough. It's a voice that could be either female or male, I can't tell the difference. I spin around and see Kagome's eyes locked on me, her body in the same position I left her in. I notice how large the red clothes are on her now, her body almost swallowed by the sea of red.

And her wounds were _not_ making it any better.

I turn my back on Inuyasha, still dazed on the sand, and squat down to Kagome's side.

"Yeah, Kagome? What is it?" I ask softly, hoping she wouldn't notice the tears behind my words. She smiles at me and my fears fly away.

"What happened when I..." she pauses to take a deep breath, wincing as she does so. "When I passed out?"

I shrug, trying to stay calm.

"Nothing much," I say non-concerned. Then I hear the shifting in the sand behind me and add in a panicked tone, "but Inuyasha hasn't changed at all! Kagome, what are we gonna do?"

Her brown eyes loose focus as she says, "I don't know, Shippou…"

I lower my gaze, trying to rack up any ideas, when my previous thoughts slam into the front of my mind. I gasp and say, "Kagome! We have to get you out of here before-"

But before I could finish my warning, Inuyasha's threatening growls echo across the sands. Kagome's eyes focus and seek out the source of the ominous sound. Very slowly, she pushes herself into a sitting position, her eyes locked on the out-of-control half-demon.

Her eyes are brimming with tears as she breathes Inuyasha's name.

As if hearing her words, his ears swing their full attention on her as he cocks his head at her. I sit there, on the sand, in an arena, underground, and let my gaze shift from one loved one to another.

I let out a small whimper, not wanting them to fight, not wanting anyone to get hurt.

-~*KT*~-

~~Kagome~~

_Inuyasha…_

I know _something _happened while I was knocked out cold – I'm not stupid.

First of all, I'm not in the same spot as before.

Secondly, little Shippo is covered in my blood.

_Something **definitely** happened, but I guess now **really isn't** the time to ask. But I wonder just how I ended up over here-_

I freeze, my priestess powers sensing a strange aura surrounding Inuyasha. I peer a little closer, though the ten foot distance between us doesn't help, and notice something truly strange.

_Those yellow dots lining his wounds are… a-are youki parasites! They're keeping his wounds open so he's constantly on Death's doorstep. They're killing him!_

I lock eyes with him, his red eyes bore into me, drilling every shred of light and happy feelings and leaving a cold and dreadful fear in his wake. Tears trail down my face.

_I have to save him._

Silently, I lift my hands towards him like a child wanting to be picked up. A look of pure bewilderment crosses Inuyasha's face, but he stands tall and walks cautiously towards me. Next to me, Shippo hisses into my ear, "What are you doing!?"

Not taking my eyes off the half-demon, I whisper, "Trust me."

Obviously not pleased with my decision, my precious kistune huffs and back away slowly, though not so far away that he wouldn't be able to spring to my rescue if need be. But that won't be necessary.

Inuyasha stops to tower above me, looking down at me with those wide, red eyes. I lift my arms higher towards him, letting a small whimper escape my lips. His eyes narrow, but he crouches before until we're eye to eye. I lower my arms to rest in my lap.

He looks me in the eye, leaning closer to my face.

I don't move.

He takes a quick sniff of me and rocks back on his heels.

"What is it, Bitch?" he snaps, his voice low and rough.

I cringe at the word being referred to me. Behind me, I can feel Shippo fuming.

"I…I-I just wanted…" I start shakily, my heart pounding in my chest in a wild rhythm. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hoping to calm my boisterous heart down. "Inuyasha… I want to be in your arms. If you're going to kill me, do so there. Grant me this one last wish?"

A bored expression passes over is face and he nods. Inuyasha places one clawed hand behind me, the other snug under my bent knees. He picks me up effortlessly.

_That's it, Kagome. Get the skin-to-skin contact. If I can purify those youki-parasites, maybe he'll go back to normal-_

"What are you staring at?" A gruff voice brings me out of my deep thoughts.

A blush paints my cheeks as I realize I had been staring at Inuyasha's bare chest. Wounded or not- it was still a sexy chest-

I shake my head.

_Now is **not** the time for those thoughts!_

I twist in his arms and place both palms flat on his, umm, chest. Though I know he's looking at me questioningly, I close my eyes and concentrate. I feel my pure energy flow from me, down my arms, and into Inuyasha.

He roars and tries to pull me away, but the connection is like _cement_, neither of us could pull away even if we wanted to. I feel his aura shift and alter, the dark youki swirling around and around in my white energy until it completely dissipates. I smile, eyes still closed.

_Inuyasha… are you back to normal? Do you recognize me now?_

I soon find that I _can't_ open my eyes, slumber beckoning to me like a long lost friend. My energy being completely drained from my body – I welcome the promise of sleep. I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, not much can keep me awake now.

-~*KT*~-

A/n: hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've talked or even written on here.

Good news! I've _survived_ both Color Guard _and_ Band Camp! X3

*sigh*

Life is good… but school starts next week! Eep!

More good news – my b-day is this Thursday! ^.^

Well, I want to thank SilverBelle11 for Beta-ing this chapter (I wanted to make sure it didn't suck or anything, ya know?)!

Thank you Ninjamadori for always reviewing and PM-ing me!

MeetLoveInuyasha- I didn't realize until after I wrote the chapter that your idea had wiggled its way into my plot. ;) teehee! Love ya!

Lovemondotrasho- I know you thought I was mean last chapter, so am I any nicer this time or am I just as "not-nice?" ;3

Well, if I didn't mention you, I'm terribly sorry – but that just means you didn't review for the past three weeks (I posted two weeks ago!) But here's a new chapter for all those who _do_ and _do not_ review my story to show me their appreciation and love.

;3

Till Next Time!


	17. Help!

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 17

~Help!~

Dislcaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

-~*KT*~-

~~Inuyasha~~

I hate myself. I freaking hate my damn self.

Ever since Kagome gave the command, a little bit of me has been able to see what has been happening on the outside. All I knew for the longest time prior to the _sit_ was that my demon was loose and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I watched as the other Inuyasha – no, Kagome- cut herself with her own claws, immediately blacking out. I reached out to her with my heart and soul… but so did my demon. I felt a chill run down my spine as I hit her with my damn, bloody claws.

_I hit her so hard… so hard… If Shippo hadn't had caught her…_

But my demon was displeased with this happy result, and stalked towards the duo despite my desperate please to go anywhere _but_ there. Shippo attacked me, though, and I'm so thankful for that. Then Kagome, sweet, human Kagome surrounded by a mountain of red cloth, raised her thin arms up towards me – perplexing both my demon and me to hell. I heard the demon ask what she wanted and her answer…

_Your words were like a knife-wound to the heart, Kagome. It nearly killed me inside._

The demon was willing to accept what he thought was a petty request; feeling as though all humans ever do was make dumb "last wishes." When Kagome stared at my chest, I could feel my grasp on what little control I had begin to slip, her being distracted was distracting me. I felt her hands touch my chest and at first, it felt nice, comfortable…

That is, until I was shocked right out of hell. The demon let out a roar and tried to throw Kagome, but her body couldn't be moved. Not even a lock of her black hair could've been flung to the side. I was glad I couldn't hurt her, but all good things must come to an end. When Kagome closed her eyes, my demon used the last of its control to toss her to the ground.

I shot out from the back of my mind so fast, I couldn't reel reality in right away.

So here I am: hands on knees trying to catch my breath. My ears work wildly as they swivel around to catch each shout, each call, each cheer. I shudder and gather the courage to look at the result of my destruction.

Shippo hovers over Kagome as any pup would over a fallen parent. I can smell his tears before I see them. I take two steps forward and he immediately whirls around to pin me with a death glare. He roughly wipes away his tears and cries, "HEART SCAR!"

He pounces on me and bites the heck out of my shoulder. But I don't move.

_I'll let him figure out on his own that I'm back to normal._

He growls and bites my arm, repeating his attack. In the corner of my eye, I see Kagome jerk to the side.

_Wha-_

I look around the kitsune's head to see a tan vine wrapped tightly around her ankle. Fury and fear spirals inside me uncontrollably and I find myself ripping Shippo off me, never taking my eyes of my sleeping miko.

"Kagome!"

Another tug and her ankle is _buried_ in the sand. I run towards her, hand outstretched.

One tug and both her legs are inside the sand, her head tossed to the other side. I jump high above her, my inner typhoon reaching its climax.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" I cry, slashing my claws deep into the sand. My claws feel a slight resistance of the vine, but it quickly snaps under my power. A sharp cry fills the arena and all the warriors in the stands fall silent. I wrap my left arm around Kagome's waist and jump back, her limp body sagging against me. I hook my right arm under her knees and hoist her up bridal style.

She moans against my chest and I feel my brow furrow as I look at her with sad eyes.

"Inuyasha!" I hear someone behind me. I jerk my head to the side and see Shippo bounding my way. "Whaahaaa! HEELLPP!"

Behind him, I see several more vines snake across the sands to chase the kistune. I tighten my grip on Kagome, pulling her closer to my chest, and growl. Shippo doesn't hesitate to jump onto my shoulder and latches down quickly.

"What are those things?" I ask him, not bothering to look at him and risk getting attacked. One of the vines inches too closely and I hop back, only to find another vine lying in wait.

"Well, this whole arena is a monster, Inuyasha. When Kagome turned back into a human, it awakened – it only feeds on humans!" he wails.

I stare wide-eyed at the multiple vines skittering across the sands. My mouth hangs in shock.

_Only feeds on… humans? Shit!_

A low, feral growl passes through my lips as I continue to evade the enemy that has yet to fully reveal itself.

-~*KT*~-

A/n: Yes, yes – this is a very, _very_ short chapter.

However-

I'm all out of ideas. Literally. When I was first thinking of this idea months ago – it kind of stopped when Inuyasha transformed back and saw his destruction.

Yeah, I know – It's very bad and this is where **YOU** guys come in! I need your help if you want the story of Kagome Twist to continue. All you need to do is either suggest what you think _could_ happen in a review or PM me. Seriously, I need help!

I'll make sure to credit you in the next chapter!

XD

Thanks guys!

Also, high school is back in session so…. Yep, not a lot of updates. But I'll try my best!

;3

Till Next Time!


	18. Allies

Kagome's Twist

Chapter 18

~Allies~

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

-~*KT*~-

All around me, chaos boils. The militia crowding the lip of the arena roars for more. The beast quaking beneath the sand sends more tendrils up out of the sand, eagerly looking for its next meal. My nose twitches in irritation because I can't _sense_ the damn youki. I growl at each and every vine that slithers near me and the girl in my arms. Her body is limp and still, but I know she's alive.

Shippo clings desperately to my bare shoulder, his tiny nails dig into my skin. I ignore the minor annoyance and focus at the task at hand.

_How the hell am I going to get us out of here?_

I hear the sharp whipping of fabrics and turn around to see the other lord crouched on all fours in the sand. I frown at his ability to jump thirty feet and rise unscathed. Most humans couldn't survive that jump – let alone walk away all fine and dandy.

At his full height, he coolly walks my way. A spear flies out of nowhere from his side, but he catches it with ease in one hand without so much as a glance in that direction. As he comes closer, I notice his gaze is not really on me, but Kagome. I watch as the emotion in his blue eyes change from determination to regret, and finally, to nonchalant. A mere ten feet away, I let out a growl of warning.

His expression doesn't waver, but he halts. A vine finds its way across his boot and climbs up his leg. HE glances down at the youki-plant and , with a quick swipe of the blade, only littering pieces remain.

"Even though I was deceived," he began, twirling the spear in his right hand. "I know that that girl you have there has helped me tremendously. I do _not_ like being lied to, but she exposed a rotted seed in my army of strong trees. I wanted my army to be firm with resolution, stand tall with complete reassurance, and shade and protect the loved ones at home. I did not treat her right, I'll admit, but she never used that as an excuse to betray me."

He grips the wooden leverage fiercely as I let out another growl.

"You _beat_ her?" I grit out between snarls. I feel the demon inside me jump at the occasion to be let out, to wreak havoc on the man who laid a hand on Kagome, but with her _in my arms_ – I can't take that chance. I might end up hurting her in the process.

The man nods, "Yes, as well as most of my army, but now is not the time for that-"

At that moment, the ground trembles as the demon roars – aggravated it hasn't eaten yet. And then, I feel it.

My eyes widen at what's to come, but I don't have enough time to call out a warning before the entire underground arena bursts open, the very beast emerging. The ground cracks and jagged pieces of earth rise into the sky, the sand falling between the cracks. I feel Shippo shiver on my shoulder and the human not far from me fall to his knees. I, too, stumble to one knee, but keep Kagome close. The vines rising from the depths change from harmless, green and fragile to thick, purple vines just waiting to latch around some body and drag it down.

I stand there and the only thing I can think of is: _oh hell._

-~*KT*~-

~~Kagome~~

"Inuyasha," I hear a child's voice say in a panicked tone. I scrunch my face in confusion.

_No wait, that wasn't just **some** child – that sounded like Shippo…_

"What are we gonna do?" I hear him yell. I try to look around, but all I find is darkness. I try to move my arm, but it won't respond. I try to speak, but find that I can't even open my mouth. Just when the panic inside was rising, I hear a warm and familiar voice.

"I don't know, kid," Inuyasha huffs. Slowly, feeling returns to my nerves and senses. I feel strong arms hold me protectively. I feel my hair whip my face with each jump and landing. He tenses and let's one arm go. "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!"

The motion is quick, so quick I only feel a slight jerk in his arm.

_Wait, he's fighting? Who is he fighting? Last thing I remember…._

I struggle to say the words, but they only come as moans, the vibrations tickling my lips. Again, the half-demon pauses.

"Kagome?" He asks hesitantly. With effort, I manage to open one of my eyes, and then the other to see the concerned look befalling his face. I blink a few times, and the blurriness recedes.

"Inu…Yasha?" I croak out. All of a sudden, my head pounds and I squeeze my eyes shut. I gasp and hold back the tears, but gods it feels like someone's taking a sledgehammer to the back of my head. My hands fly up to bury themselves in my black hair littered with sand.

From above, I hear a troubled sigh and a large hand cupping the back of my head.

"I-I'm so sorry, Kagome," I hear Inuyasha say, remorse lacing his words. He jumps and the pounding worsens. I whimper at the new pain and he stops. "I never meant to hurt you. Gods, I swear these bastards will pay!"

I turn my head and dare to open my eyes, but I only see General Dintu/Lord Kabashi being dragged into the ground by purple vines pulsating with strong youki. I tense and feel my stomach still.

_What's he doing? How did he get here? I have to save him somehow-_

"Inuyasha!" I whip my head around too fast and have to pause before speaking again. I grimace, then say, "Please, go save him-"

"No, I _won't_ leave you! I did not come here only end us saving your abuser-"

"Inuyasha!" I yell, gripping his wild, silver hair. "I'll be okay, just go save him."

The half-demon furiously shakes his head, ripping my grip on him out of my hands.

"Kagome, you don't understand-"

From behind us, the man is already waist deep by the time we hear his cry for help. Up above, several men shout in rage, but do nothing to help their leader. Scared for him, I push myself out of Inuyasha's arms and fall to the ground. I quickly get up and notice how loose my clothing is. the pants are completely loose and the haori is no better. Deciding the pants would only get in the way, I drop them. If Inuyasha's haori didn't reach down to my thighs, I wouldn't have taken off the mock-hakamas. I tie the obis wrapped around my waist tightly and look up to stare him down.

"I'll. Be. Fine," I grit out, my patience for him waning. "Go!"

Out of nowhere, Shippo appears from behind him and whispers, "Look Inuyasha, the faster you save that guy, the faster you can grab Kagome and we can _get out of here!"_

He breaks eye-contact with me and stares at the ground. As the half-demon takes his sweet time deciding what to do, the man that forced me into the military, beat me, and called me a liar is being dragged even deeper into one of the many cracks on the ground.

I frown at him, catching him off guard and yell, "Forget it! I'll do it myself!"

With that, I run past the duo. As I stay clear of the small, green vines, the purple vines, and the large cracks riddling the used-to-be arena, I feel the ground rumble and nearly fall to the ground.

I trip over one of the cracks and a pair of strong arms wraps themselves securely around my middle to bring me back to my feet.

"Like hell you're doing anything," Inuyasha barks in my ear. He spins me around and pins me to the spot with his hard-amber eyes. "_You're _not going any where, stay here!"

I nod, but he doesn't move. For a moment, I can't hear the roar of the armies above us; I can't hear the lord in the sands crying for help; I can't even hear that odd rumbling anymore.

No, all I know is Inuyasha. All I see is that awed look in his breath-taking golden eyes. All I hear is his labored breathing – and that brings back memories of when that spiked-youki nearly killed him. Without thinking, I close the gap between us and press my lips against his. I gasp against his lips at my brash action, but then he returns the gesture, even putting his arms around me to hold me.

With the memories of his grave wounds still on my mind and the fact I'm _finally_ getting to express my feelings for him, a few tears spill from the corners of my eyes to caress my face. I pull away and smile up at him. He smirks back and I close my eyes as he brushes away some of the tears with his thumb.

Leaning in close, he whispers, "I'll be back."

He kisses the top of my head and dashes off.

I open my eyes to see his back getting smaller and smaller. I smile and blink back the few remaining tears.

Suddenly, something wraps itself around my right ankle before snaking its way around both legs. I open my mouth to scream, but a second vine comes from behind to attach itself over my mouth. The large vine around my legs gives a swift tug and I'm flat on my back.

The purple plant-youki crawls over my skin, twisting this way and that until I'm securely bound despite my desperate attempts to get away.

Then, I feel myself being dragged to the very crack I tripped over.

_Get a hold of yourself, Kagome! It's a demon, you're a priestess – use your powers!_

I close my eyes and focus on my spiritual powers.

But then my stomach drops at what I find, or – lack there of. My breathing quickens as the panic sets in.

_What's happening? Why can't I use my powers? It's like their dormant or something._

I move my head as far left as my botanical binds will let me and see Inuyasha freeing the general. Inside, I'm happy. Happy Lord Kabashi was saved and Inuyasha didn't get harmed.

I'm pulled so fast I'm halfway into the pit before I realize it. The vines squeeze extra hard and whatever breath I had is milked out of me. I can see through the haze Inuyasha nodding at the general, motioning my way, looking for me.

My vision darkens and my body goes numb, though I can feel my legs become cold.

Finally, Inuyasha spots me and, as much as I hate it, I see the horror on his face. With no more energy left in my drained body – both spiritually and physically – I allow my eyes to close as I sink even further into the darkness of the abyss below the arena.

Will I ever see daylight again?

-~*KT*~-

A/n: No, I'm not dead nor am I on anyone's hit list. I'm _so_ sorry I haven't written sooner – but school has started, color guard and homework have taken up most of my afternoon time and I believe in spending _some_ time with my family.

You know, to reassure them _I'm_ still alive?

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and sent me ideas – I'm inspired again!

XDDDDD

hinakyrie: I may not bring Kouga, but I think I'll bring back some of our _other_ main characters!

Lovemondotrasho: yep, Sophomore and two of my four 90min classes are honors, the third is band – so that's an honors class in and of itself! At my high school, you can take college courses from the local community college – that's my plan for senior year. But you're right – AP classes and all that other smarticle stuff is just diggin' your own grave.

KirarinReader101: YES! IT TOOK SOME TIME, BUT IT'S HERE! XDDD

jellyfish'confetti: Well, I must say: I didn't really plan on Kagome waking up again (seriously, how many times will she pass out and revive? Lol) but your idea got me thinkin'!

Well, we have a home game this week, and the next… and the next one… so my color guard captain will press for everything to be _perfect._

Translation: School and practice until dinner – then pass out on the couch till morning to do it all over again. XD

Now that I have some ideas going on in my head – I'm sure I won't disappear for a month like last time!

;3

Till Next Time!

P.s. Working on WTF as well- that should be up within two weeks – If I'm lucky. If I'm REALLY lucky, SilverBelle11 and I will have it posted by next weekend!


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